Seasoar vehicle control and data acquisition

The Seasoar is an undulating, towed instrument platform that samples the upper ocean for oceanographic parameters such as temperature, conductivity, fluorescence etc. The original analog controller of the vehicle has been replaced at WHOI with a PC based system. A combination of PCs and a UNIX workstation collects the data and displays a subset in real-time. A bottom avoidance system has been developed that allow the use of Seasoar in shallow coastal waters. This paper describes the new controller, the data acquisition system, and initial experiences with the bottom avoidance system.