Underwater tracking system floated

GPS World, March, 2004

ORCA Instrumentation (France) has partnered with French research and development firm Advanced Concept and System Architecture (ACSA) to develop the GPS Intelligent Buoy (GIB) system or "underwater GPS" to track pinger-fitted underwater vehicles in real-time.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The system consists of a surface buoy network (three to 12 buoys) deployed in the area where underwater vehicles are operating, a deck unit, control-display unit, and acoustic pincers (transmitters) on board vehicles. The GIB buoys and deck unit carry the BAE Systems' (now NovAtel) Allstar 12 GPS receiver with differential capacity.

Operators manage the differential GPS (DGPS) system over the local radio network. GIB requires no calibration to obtain metric accuracy; the user enters sound velocity, and real-time tracking is subsequently displayed.

Several underwater vehicles can be tracked simultaneously. Applications include tracking a variety of vehicles and vessels from Autonomous Vehicles (AUVs) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to submarines, high-speed vehicles, and surface ships. The system also can track and find divers and airplanes' "black boxes."

GIB is designed for research and and hydrographic institutes, navies, and offshore oil and dredging companies.