In case you missed it, “Showcasing the DNR” dived into the topic of “smart ship” technologies with a recent story about the new Marine Autonomy Research Site in Lake Superior. The site, near Michigan Technological University in Houghton and managed by the university, will serve as the world’s first freshwater location for testing unmanned (autonomous) surface and underwater vessels for operation in Great Lakes and U.S. coastal waters.
The Michigan Office of the Great Lakes – an office within the DNR – assisted with development of the testing site, a hub for the development of futuristic, state-of-the-art smart ship technologies.
University researchers envision unmanned surface and underwater vessels being used to augment manned research ships to transport remote-sensing technology, collect sonar and video imagery, deploy under frozen Great Lakes waters to gather winter samples and venture to sites unsafe for humans.
Other testing could involve autonomous underwater vehicles monitoring structures such as pipelines for their integrity, identifying shipwrecks or recovering evidence when working with the Michigan State Police.
Read the Showcasing story to learn more about the world’s first freshwater test site for smart ships.
