Animation of a SeaBED vehicle near the seafloor. (Animation by Tim Silva, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Video of the SeaBED class AUV Puma being deployed and under the ice.
SeaBED is a class of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that can fly slowly or hover over the seafloor to depths of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). This makes them particularly suited to collecting highly detailed sonar and optical images that can be stitched together into high-resolution photo mosaics that focus on large features or specific details of the seafloor.
Length | 2m (6.6 ft.) |
Height | 1.5m (5 ft.) |
Width | 1.2m (4 ft.) |
Depth | 5,000m (16,400 ft./3.1 miles) |
Endurance | 24 hours |