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Final Touches

November 3, 2013

One night on the WHOI dock in 2009, senior engineer Norm Farr and the optical communications team of engineers prepared the hybrid remotely operated vehicle (HROV) Nereus to record and transmit real-time underwater video wirelessly for the first time. Because the optical modem is designed to operate optimally in the dark, Farr’s team tested the system at night. Since this test, many successful sea trials and science missions have been conducted, including data harvesting from seafloor observatories, controlling underwater vehicles remotely, and capturing video of newly discovered areas of the ocean.(Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)