RSL developing novel marine systems through $1.3 Million of external grants
Faculty, staff and students in the Robotic Systems Laboratory (RSL), directed by Dr. Christopher Kitts, are currently working on several innovative marine systems as part of three grants valued at more than $1,300,000. These include development of a deep sea water sampler using shape memory alloy technology to sample water at temperatures of up to 200 deg C (National Science Foundation), a new hybrid aerial/underwater vehicle (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute), and a long duration autonomous underwater robot (Office of Naval Research).
Passive SMA-based sampler being tested in a high temperature bath. For deepwater deployment, a boom with 10+ of these samplers is lowered several thousands of meters into the ocean and into a borehole in the Earth's crust.