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Vehicle Inspection

WHOI engineer Amy Kukulya watched recently as she and her colleagues from the Oceanographic Systems Lab took a specialized Hull Inspection Vehicle for a test run off the WHOI dock alongside the R/V Knorr. The ONR-funded vehicle is built on the chassis of a REMUS 100 AUV and includes a WHOI  built range detection sonar and hovering capability that allow the vehicle to maintain a precise distance from and parallel orientation to an underwater surface such as the hull of a ship. High-resolution sonar and special software enable the vehicle to not only map a hull, but to identify anomalies on the surface being inspected. (Photo by Ken Kostel, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)