SBIR-STTR Award

The proposed systems approach referred to as Sea Otter is an integrated family of sensors that can measure trafficability and hydrographic information in a low profile, large area manner. The Sea Otter measures soil strength to a depth of 24-in, shear strength, rolling resistance, grade, and topography in a single system. The design permits flexibility in coverage area and deep penetration under submerged and exposed soils providing high fidelity data. The Sea Otter system includes various delivery options and means of remotely and clandestinely exfiltrating data. The design leverages work performed for dry land operations and extends it to the more challenging underwater regime through adaptation of past research in a unique capability set.

Keywords:
Geotechnical, Trafficability, Cone Penetrometer, Rolling Resistnace,

The Sea Otter program objective is to design a new vehicle which adds considerable capability to existing systems by taking advantage of recent developments and advancements in electronics and navigational technology. It will be a modular, long range long-duration bottom crawling system that can complete several near shore and on shore missions in denied territory. It will be designed to operate amphibiously and largely autonomously with report back abilities. The primary features focus is on its flexibility in delivery means, and the range of payloads it can carry. Low ground pressures will allow it to transit swamp and soft littoral soils carrying out trafficability, sampling and mapping functions, making it useful for many non DoD applications such as dredge monitoring, environmental sampling in area s that are difficult for humans to transgress. Riverine profiling and current mapping are within the Sea Otters designed capabilities.

Keywords:
Bottom Crawler, Bottom Crawler, Geotechnical Instrumetnation, Robotics