The Ocean Technology Test Bed - An Underwater Laboratory

The ocean technology test bed (OTTB) will be an engineering laboratory, located on the sea floor. The OTTB will be integrated with the VENUS (Victoria Experimental Network Under the Sea) observatory in Saanich Inlet, on Vancouver Island. It will enable scientific instrument prototyping, ocean technology development and systems engineering. More specifically, it will facilitate research into the technologies required to extend the reach of cabled ocean observatories using underwater vehicles, autonomous instrumentation, and acoustic networks. This project will first develop the necessary infrastructure and then use the installation to conduct research to advance the state of underwater technology for cabled ocean observatories. The infrastructure will provide a 3-D arena in which underwater engineering research can occur. This arena will effectively be a wet lab for engineering research. Inside of the arena, the OTTB will provide power and communication to static instruments and precision tracking for research on dynamic systems, like vehicles. The facility will consist of a retrievable platform connected to the VENUS node, a top-side ROV, and an integrated acoustic system (IAS). The platform will be the backbone of the installation. It will provide an array of ports with power and communication similar to those available on the VENUS and NEPTUNE nodes. However, unlike a typical observatory node, the platform will be easily raised and lowered simplifying the task of deploying instruments for the purpose of testing and development. The platform will be equipped with a video monitoring system allowing for real-time video of any experiment occurring on or near the platform. The top-side ROV will also be a key component of the test facility, providing surface support to the facility. It will be available to complete routine maintenance, move things around, assist in deployments, and to retrieve any wayward experiments. The IAS will provide the precision tracking in the 3-D arena around the installation. It will consist of a number of cabled acoustic monitoring satellites which will be positioned around the OTTB test site. In the systems initial configuration, the satellites will act primarily as receivers and each object in the arena will carry a small self-contained pinger. The satellites will track the pinger through 3-D space using triangulation. This tracking information will be available to the researchers in real-time through the OTTB user interface. The OTTB facility will provide a user interface that can be accessed over the internet, allowing researchers to monitor or conduct tests on their equipment from anywhere in the world. Once the OTTB infrastructure is in place, the project research team will inaugurate it by pursuing research topics related to hybrid autonomous vehicles, autonomous instrumentation and underwater vehicle docking. This facility will provide the tools that outside researchers need to assist in the development of new underwater technologies including: underwater vehicles, guidance, navigation and control algorithms, multiple vehicle cooperation, simultaneous localization and mapping, docking, acoustic communication, and autonomous sensors. Ultimately, the OTTB will be a state-of-the-art research facility and a "go to" site for any group wishing to do research, development, or testing on underwater technology.