SBIR-STTR Award

The objective of this proposal is to demonstrate the feasibility of developing a compact, low power, autonomous, scalable, bottom-up profiling system for long-term (up to 6 months) deployments. This Miniaturized, Autononomous, Moored Profiler (Mini AMP) will contain a suite of environmental sensors, an integrated data control system, and a telemetry unit as a part of a modular, winch-driven profiling platform. The compact, hydrodynamic, low power design of the Mini AMP system will support a variety of long-term applications, where real-time, high vertical resolution physical and bio-optical data are required. The overall goal of this research will be to design a MINI AMP system that offers the consumer a high level of flexibility in sensing parameters, data telemetry and data control, while maintaining a high level of performance, reliability, accuracy, and ease of use thereby making the system inherently scalable. The prototype design to be developed in this Phase I research will be based on a multi-parameter sensor suite including an optical scattering detector, chlorophyll and colored DOM fluorometers, a spectral attenuation meter, a spectral irradiance sensor, and a CTD. The telemetry unit, an Iridium-based communication link, will provide bi-directional communications for profile scheduling and data retrieval capabilities from remote locations. Benefit The Mini AMP system will provide an affordable, reliable, easy to maintain, and rapidly deployable/recoverable solution to obtaining long term, high vertical resolution profiles of important physical and bio-optical properties in coastal regions. Primary customers of the Mini AMP system include i) military operations, ii) coastal ocean observing systems, and iii) the research science community. This research will provide the basis for developing a set of modular components which will form the tools for future observing system platforms. Keywords modular, integrated, Compact, autonomous profiler, miniaturized platform, Optics

This proposal addresses WET Labs design and development efforts of a compact, low power, autonomous, scalable, bottom-up profiling system termed the Miniaturized Autonomous Moored Profiler (Mini AMP). The Mini AMP’s novel design includes a robust suite of physical, biological and optical sensors, an integrated package control system, a power system, and a telemetry unit as a part of a modular, self contained, winch-driven profiling platform. The compact, hydrodynamic, low power design of the Mini AMP system will support a variety of long-term coastal applications, where real-time, high vertical resolution physical and bio-optical data are required. The overarching goal of this project is to provide a Mini AMP system that offers the customer a high level of flexibility in sensing parameters, data telemetry and data control, while maintaining a high level of performance, reliability, accuracy, and ease of use. The compact light weight design of the Mini AMP system will facilitate a variety of possible deployment methods in coastal areas ranging from 3 to 100 meters. In this Phase II work, two beta Mini AMP systems will be constructed and tested for operational performance in a variety of coastal environments ranging from inland waters to nearshore coastal waters. Benefit We believe that the proposed capabilities of the Mini AMP represent a significant innovation in sampling technology above and beyond the capabilities currently available from existing commercial profiling platforms. The Mini AMP system will provide an affordable, reliable, easy to maintain, and rapidly deployable/recoverable solution to obtaining high vertical resolution profiles of important physical and bio-optical properties in coastal regions. The compact self-contained design, multi-parameter measurement capability, long-term deployment capacity, and flexible operational controls of the Mini AMP will provide a system that is unsurpassed in comparison to current commercially available profiling systems for the coastal environment. We believe that the innovations of the Mini AMP system will fill a unique niche in ocean research that will service a broad spectrum of coastal oceanographic research and military needs. Projected primary customers of the Mini AMP system include i) military operations, ii) coastal ocean observing systems, and iii) the research science community. With projected expansion of Mini AMP capabilities into cabled observatories, off-shore installations, and into fresh water quality monitoring applications, we expect an increasing application and market base. Keywords sampling platform, high vertical resolution, Coastal ocean, autonomous vehicle, Autonomous moored profiler, optical and physical properties