Schmidt Institute Robotic Scott Atoll System Successful

Atoll Reef locations are ideal for the study of ocean dynamics relating to "isolated" environments

In Scott Reef Atoll the Schmidt Ocean Institute pushed the boundaries of robotics and successfully concluded an innovative expedition.

The Institute assures that their robotics expedition in the Scott Reef Atoll is “focused on pushing oceanographic technology forward”. The Schmidt Ocean Institute packed the Falkor Vessel tight...one supercomputer, dozens of robotic technology, buoys, moorings, sonars, ROVs...and the list goes on and on.

Schmidt Ocean is internationally renowned for their recent work with David Cameron's -Avatar Producer-Director, and his Deep Sea Challenge Exploration Documentary in 3D.

On May 3rd the organization reported on the end of the Voyage for the expedition Connecting Scott Reef. “It has now been 25 days since we all boarded Falkor in Broome, Western Australia, and it is hard to appreciate that our cruise ends tomorrow in Darwin, the Northern Territory of Australia”.

Researchers referred the reef biodiversity, its isolation, and its ability to provide data which can string into ocean connections. “From a physical oceanography perspective, it is a highly energetic region,” scientists onboard stated.

The Scott Reef Atoll system is composed of three Atolls found near the edge of the continental shelf. The “isolated” environment and the atoll lagoons relate with the full force of the ocean. Mathematical models of ocean dynamics and flow of nutrients which allow for the flourishing of all life forms in the reef are of interest and study,.

On May 6th the organization reported that the expedition at Timor Sea was completed and proved that instaling supercomputers onboard scientific investigation vessels is of great value for science.

“In January, Schmidt Ocean Institute installed a cluster of interconnected high-performance computers on board Falkor, making her the first research vessel with a supercomputing system available to scientists during research cruises. This breakthrough capability enables collaborating scientists to model complex physical, biological, and other dynamic processes with unsurpassed resolution in time and space while at sea,” the organization says.

The supercomputer can process vast amounts of data and information and act as a “wide eye” with a range of capacities not available to the human naked eye.

Supercomputers can also render 3D images compiled from sonar, acoustic and thermal data extracted from the environment by robotics technology in live time, this requires massive processing capacity. Supercomputers can model, store, remember and forecast and predict.

The complete system which the guys at Falkor used spreads like a network. The main brain-hive is the Supercomputer which receives information from its links- cognitive extensions, ROVs, long lines of moors, buoys, submerged technology and equipment on board the vessel.

The Institute proved that the system operates efficiently. “Of the nearly 50 instruments on these moorings, we appear to have almost 100% data return. The amount of ROV dives, echosounder, and multibeam work we were able to do was also astounding. We estimate that we have collected around 16.5 TB of data from all data sources! Importantly, the disparate observations and data streams have been well integrated to allow us to understand the complex links between the physical and biological systems that control the very functioning of this ecosystem,” the organization concluded.

The Institute recognizes that models are useful to predict tides, current, water temperatures, find connections, patterns, establish new equations and so forth.

“Luckily for us, Isaac Newton discovered many moons ago that force equals mass times acceleration that in turn led to a set of equations describing the flow of all fluids: the Navier-Stokes equations. Solving these equations requires a large computer and knowledge of the correct boundary conditions, which in this case are the tides, seafloor topography, and the wind,” scientists of the Institute stated.

The study the connections of the Global Deep Ocean Trench System and other environments, is one of interest. On the frontline of these “inaccessible” environments robotics and supercomputers are becoming our eyes and ears.

Ocean Life News in Brief

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