US Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat motion recording black boxes

Mission Data Recorders (MDRs) are being used to evaluate new US Coast Guard Motor Lifeboats (MLBs). The MDR autonomously records operating hours, motion environment, operational profiles and captures significant motion events encountered such as boat roll-overs. The MDR uses a self-contained sensor package and a data-logger to record the motions and control settings on the 47-FT MLB during extreme motion events. The recorded data is back through computer animation software after an incident to help reconstruct the actual event. The MDRs have collected motion and engine usage statistics over the past two years. This data provides a unique view of how the boats are being used at different stations along the coast. The MDR is the first motion recording "black box" installed on US Coast Guard MLBs and represents a new tool to support Test and Evaluation (T&E) efforts.