Underwater Vehicles
New Robot Sub Surveys the Deep off the Pacific Northwest
Scientists and engineers from WHOI and the University of Washington have successfully completed the first scientific mission with Sentry, a newly developed robot capable of diving as deep as 5,000 meters into the ocean. The vehicle surveyed and helped pinpoint several proposed deep-water sites for seafloor instruments that will be deployed in the Ocean Observatories Initiative.
Read MoreThe Hunt for Red Hot Hydrothermal Vents
At the Mercy of the Ice
Intriguing Discoveries
Arctic Voyage Tests New Robots for Ice-covered Oceans
In the summer of 2007, an international team led by scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution sailed to the Arctic…
Read MoreHappy as a (Newly Discovered) Clam
Aboard a research ship in 1997, Janet Voight was amazed when she examined a small log that researchers just happened…
Read MoreScientists Prepare for a Risky Mission Under the Arctic Ice
Bone-chilling temperatures, biting winds, and rapidly changing sea ice conditions make the Chukchi Sea off Point Barrow, Alaska, a particularly…
Read MoreMining the Origins of Life
Researchers Give New Hybrid Vehicle Its First Test-Drive in the Ocean
Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Webb Research Corporation (Falmouth, Mass.) have successfully flown the first environmentally powered robotic vehicle through the ocean. The new robotic ?glider? harvests heat energy from the ocean to propel itself across thousands of kilometers of water.
Read MoreLockheed Martin Successfully Completes Preliminary Design Review for New Scientific Research Mini-Sub
Lockheed Martin recently completed a Preliminary Design Review for the Replacement Human Occupied Vehicle (RHOV), a next generation three-person Deep Submergence Vehicle that will be used by the U.S. scientific community.
Read MoreRobotic Tag-Team is Headed for the Seafloor
In the summer of 2007, engineers from WHOI’s Deep Submergence Laboratory proved they could operate an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV)…
Read MorePhone Call Links Inner and Outer Space
Tim Shank and Sunita Williams placed one of the most unusual long-distance phone calls of all time on Jan. 26,…
Read MoreWHOI Awards Lockheed Martin $2.8 Million Contract to Design Submersible Replacement Human Occupied Vehicle
WHOI has awarded Lockheed Martin a $2.8 million contract for the initial design of the Replacement Human Occupied Vehicle (RHOV), a next generation three-person Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) that will be used by the U.S. scientific community. The contract has an option for subsequent construction of the RHOV once the initial design is completed and the project is approved to move forward.
Read MoreSummer Under Arctic Ice
This month, an international team of scientists and engineers are exploring the seafloor of the Arctic Ocean while cruising aboard…
Read MoreExplorers to Use New Robotic Vehicles to Hunt for Life and Hydrothermal Vents on Arctic Seafloor
Researchers will probe the Gakkel Ridge during expedition that begins on July 1.
Read MoreJason to the Rescue
During an expedition to the East Pacific Rise in May 2007, using the dexterous mechanical arms of the remotely operated…
Read MoreRescue Mission on the Seafloor
The two earthquake-monitoring instruments—each the size and weight of a small refrigerator—were glued to the ocean bottom by erupting lava…
Read MoreRobotic Vehicle Recovers Instruments and Data Locked in a Lava Flow
A lot of ocean science equipment goes into the water and never comes back. Some of it was intended to…
Read MoreSeafloor to Space Station
He is two miles under water; she is 200 miles up in the atmosphere. Watch and listen to a phone…
Read MoreAlvin in Photos
First-Ever Call from Alvin Submersible to International Space Station
Listen to the first call between ocean explorers and astronauts.
Read MoreStudents Visit the Deep-sea Robot They Named
Seven students from a California high school took a field trip to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in September, after…
Read MorePeople Around WHOI
Engineers Honored for Pioneering Undersea Robot
The engineering team at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution that built the first fiber-optically cabled deep-sea robot Jason Jr. received the…
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