Air/Space Remote Ocean Sensing
Technical Scope: The challenges facing ocean remote sensing are as unlimited as the variety of sea surface dynamics and meteorological conditions across the globe, and their range of spatial and time scales. The ultimate goal is to be able to make accurate estimates of a selected set of geophysical variables, with the intention of either making predictions across time and spatial boundaries, or advancing fundamental knowledge through developing empirical relationships and/or theoretical models. Advances are constantly being sought in both our understanding of the geophysical processes themselves (the electromagnetic and microwave properties of the surface and its associated air-sea interface) and their monitoring using the vast number of specialized technologies that can be selected to concentrate on one or a few of the physical processes for accurate measurements. The blending of deployed sensor programs (satellite-based or other platforms) with geophysical monitoring demands skills in making continuous observations and real-time interpretations that never seem fully adequate. The wide range of spatial scales of the sea surface (from millimeters to kilometers) must be matched by a broad spectrum of sensor technologies that have the optimum capabilities based on their electromagnetic frequency, polarization, incidence angle, coherence, Doppler characteristics and spatial/time resolution. Progress seems to be at an exponential pace, and the more effort a specialist devotes to advancing his or her own field, the more they may feel that there is a wider gulf between themselves and their colleagues. The OCEANS Conferences and the Journal of Oceanic Engineering are valuable means for immediate contacts with colleagues and professionals in related fields, and keeping abreast of their accomplishments and gaining ideas and insights for future directions.
Current, Wave, and Turbulence Measurement
Technical Scope: The Current, Wave, and Turbulence Measurement Technology Committee is concerned with methods of measuring current for studies of the general circulation; vertical and horizontal profiles of current in harbors and rivers; spatial mapping of currents in estuaries, rivers and dams; and boundary layer studies. Our members include those who use current meters and want to know how good they are; those who test current meters to discover how good they are; and those who develop current measuring technology. Acoustic Doppler current profilers and acoustic Doppler velocimeters have taken a major position in our technology below the surface while HF and VHF radar are used to map surface currents. Studies of the surface boundary layer, wave motion, the bottom boundary layer, the wave boundary layer, and sediment transport require fast, small, precise, non-invasive velocity probes and acoustic Doppler and travel-time current meters are being applied there. These instruments represent a continuation of the development of direct current sensors but other techniques including correlation sonar and drifting floats offer alternatives for current sensing. Survivability of sensors remains an issue, particularly in harbors and where fishing is intense on the shelf. Trawler proof mountings for ADCPs have been developed by several of our constituents and tested by others. Horizontal current profiling is a recently employed technique to avoid losses from shipping and fishing.
Environmental Acoustics
Technical Scope: The Environmental Acoustics Committee covers the theory, design and operation of acoustic systems that are strongly affected by the complexities of propagation through the environment, or are intended to measure the environment. One focus is on the influence of temporal fluctuations and model mismatch on performance. Another is on the effects of spatial and temporal decorrelation on array systems. Other topics include intensity and phase fluctuation, multiple scattering, sub-bottom variability, and noise (ambient or event-like).
Environmental Technology
Technical Scope: The Environmental Technology Committee is chartered to examine the impact that oceanic engineering sensors and systems have on the ocean environs and the impact the ocean has on the performance of oceanic systems and sensors. This involves the performance prediction of acoustic and non-acoustic sensors as modified by the natural environment e.g., bathymetry interaction with active sonars, and the level of disturbance that the systems bring to the ocean, e.g., high energy levels associated with active sonars with respect to mammal behavior.
Global Earth Observing System of Systems
Technical Scope: The technology domain for the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) Technology Committee is in all aspects of this complex system of sensors, communication devices, storage systems, computational and other hardware elements. These entities are used in concert to improve the monitoring of the state of the Earth, to increase the understanding of Earth processes, and to enhance prediction of the behavior of the Earth system. GEOSS will link millions of established national, regional and international sources and datasets into a single network capable of tracking environmental changes in atmospheric, oceanic, and land-based ecosystems around the world. This system is expected to yield advances in knowledge in many areas of benefit to humankind, including disaster reduction, health, energy, climate, weather, water, and agriculture.
The GEOSS Technology Committee will track developments in systems engineering and integration, architecture, and standards related to sensor systems, communications, data processing, data archiving and cataloging, data searching and access, data portrayal, and decision support systems. The GEOSS Technology Committee will interact with the other OES Technology Committees, IEEE Technical Councils and Societies, and select international scientific and technical organizations to recommend solutions to difficult issues related to the GEOSS mission.
Information Processing and Data Fusion
Technical Scope: The focus of the Information Processing and Data Fusion Technology Committee encompasses virtually all aspects of data presentation, database design, filtering, modeling, and analysis. This committee directly benefits from advances in computer science, mathematics, and all physical sciences. Key research areas include data fusion, neural networks, computational intelligence, artificial intelligence, and visualization tools, among many others. Though there is considerable overlap with other technical committee areas, the focus of this committee is to utilize information acquired from one or more external sources (e.g., sonar imagery) and derive/implement/apply state-of-the-art computational methods to represent this data in a meaningful manner. Information processing techniques span the range from graphical user interface design to evolution of models that optimally classify ocean mammal signals.
Maritime Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection
Technical Scope: The technology focus of the Maritime Security and Critical Infrastructure Technology Committee (for the protection of Ocean and Maritime Infrastructure) encompasses all engineering activities and underwater products associated with monitoring, observation, and protection of intercoastal networks and ocean infrastructures, resources, and eco-systems. The theme for the HST Committee and its annual workshop is "Under the Water, On the Water, and Over the Water". This includes both active and passive applications and technologies for gathering and processing acoustic and optical information for the protection of vital maritime infrastructure and provide for the safety of our ports, harbors, coastal eco-systems and our oceans. The HST committee provides a focal point for technical information exchange and promotes cooperation and coordination among small technology companies, and large defense contractors, military, government, academia, and not-for-profit communities. The committee focuses on the following areas:
- Sensors and Vehicle Technology for Protecting our Ports, Waterways, and Coastlines
- Preempting and Disrupting Terrorist Threat
- Maritime Domain Awareness
- Biometrics and Screening - including Personnel and Containers
- Technologies for Countering Chemical, Bio-terrorist, Terrorist Attacks on Ocean Industries
- HLS First Responders
- Beyond Homeland Defense and Homeland Security - Over the Horizon
Modeling, Simulation, and Visualization
Technical Scope: The technology focus of the Modeling, Simulation, and Visualization Technology Committee encompasses all activities and products associated with computer oriented modeling, simulation and databases within ocean engineering and science. The Committee identifies three major issues to be focused on in the next few years. The first one concerns quality control in existing and developing databases and their user interfaces. The second relates to the need for a better description of applicable models, introducing the notion of an informal ?sunset law? for their codes. The third issue is attainment of a greater interdisciplinary interaction with workers in the other technical fields under OES cognizance. The Committee considers the activities in its domain to be primarily a service tool for solving concrete problems in the other areas of the ocean engineering arena, and intends to serve as a bridge - in a advisory capacity - between application needs and solution means.
Ocean Energy
Technical Scope: TBD
Ocean Policy and Education
Technical Scope: The scope of this Committee consists of activities associated with the formulation, discussion, and implementation of international and national policies effecting oceanic engineering, science, and technology. This scope includes issues associated with maritime law, ocean resources management, technology innovation, international cooperation, and education. Anticipated activities include delivering papers at oceanic engineering conferences and workshops, interacting with national and international organizations and societies dealing with oceanic policy issues, and informing legislative bodies concerning ocean policy and education issues. The Committee seeks to promote: the policy and educational interests of the oceanic profession, informed stewardship of oceanic resources, public awareness of oceanic issues and needs, and the development and use of innovative technology to better understand the oceans.
Oceanographic Instrumentation, Communication, Navigation, and Positioning
Technical Scope: The technology interests of the Oceanographic Instrumentation, Communication, Navigation, and Positioning Technology Committee include new developments in oceanographic instrumentation and data acquisition, and their dissemination through workshops, conferences and publications; the solicitation and evaluation of papers related to instrumentation and data acquisition; and the development, evaluation and acceptance of standards for oceanographic measurements and acquisition of data.
Sonar Signal and Image Processing
Technical Scope: The technical scope of the Sonar Signal and Image Processing (SSIP) Technology Committee has an emphasis on sonar processing with a "focus" on the signal and image processing aspects including theory, algorithms and applications, both simulated and experimental. The major technical areas that fall within the bounds and interests of the SSIP and are considered within its technical scope are:
Detection
Classification
Localization
Tracking
Estimation
* Signal
* Parameter
* State
* Bayesian
Deconvolution
Equalization
Signal Analysis
* Spectral Estimation (temporal and spatial)
* Higher Order Statistics
* Time-Frequency
* Wavelets
Signal Processing
* Array Signal Processing
* Adaptive Signal Processing
* Environmentally adaptive
* Parametrically adaptive
* Bio-Processing
* Model-Based Signal Processing
* Space-Time Signal Processing
* Time-Reversal Signal Processing
Image Processing
* Image Enhancement
* Image Restoration
* Image Reconstruction
Inversion
* Tomography
* Holography
* Matched-Field
* Imaging
Pattern Recognition
Multisensor Fusion
Synthetic Aperture Sonar (active)
Applications
Submarine Cable Technology, Commercial and Scientific
Technical Scope: The technology focus of the Submarine Cable Technology Committee encompasses all engineering activities and underwater products associated with underwater fiber optic telecommunications systems, networks, and underwater observatories. This includes transoceanic and festooned fiber applications, and the revitalization and reuse of first and second generation fiber optic technologies for acoustic information and data transfer for scientific ocean engineering. The committee provides a focal point for technical information exchange and promotes cooperation and coordination among fiber optic component manufacturers and installers serving the telecommunications, ocean science, oil and gas industry, government, and special applications communities. The committee focus also includes the development and use of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) for repair, observation, and maintenance of underwater cable technology and associated sub-systems. The Submarine Cable Technology Committee addresses standards coordination with other IEEE, ICPC and CCITT Standards Committees, laboratory and field test and repair methodologies, industry trends, technology innovations and developments based on forward looking needs such as tsunami detection and early warning systems. It also incorporates Department of Homeland Defense and United Nations Committee on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) issues as applicable to the submarine cable technology communities. Submarine Cable Technologies provides underwater support and "backbone" technologies for the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS/GOOS).
Subsea Optics and Vision
Technical Scope: The focus of the Subsea Optics and Vision Technology Committee consists of all aspects of electromagnetic technology for obtaining images or multidimensional data constructs useful in undersea sensing applications. Included are: (1) active or passive optical/electromagnetic/magnetic methods and techniques for mapping, robotics, inspection, navigation, identification, localization, and detection, (2) improved methods of modeling, predicting, describing or enhancing the image formation process in relation to the physical characteristics of the medium, (3) conventional and non-conventional optical systems development, testing, and evaluation, (4) signal and image processing techniques, implementation and performance as applied to the image formation, detection or classification process, and (5) the use of non-acoustic methods in conjunction with other technology. Application of photogrammetric, tomographic, interferometric, LIDAR and time-gating principles to undersea imaging technology is encouraged.
Underwater Acoustics
Technical Scope: The technology domain of the Underwater Acoustics Technology Committee comprises all aspects of applied acoustics in the ocean environment, including, for example: (1) design, fabrication, and testing of acoustic instrumentation (transducers, transducer arrays, hydrophones, sound sources, transponders and recording systems); (2) use of acoustic instrumentation (active and passive sonar systems) for such applications as acoustic telemetry, bottom mapping, underwater imaging, acoustic navigation, ocean measurements, observation and quantification of biological organisms, target surveillance and tracking, and position keeping; (3) modeling and prediction of ocean acoustic parameters, such as multipath arrival structure, scattering, reverberation, and noise, which influence sonar system performance.
Underwater Communication, Navigation, and Positioning
Underwater Connectors
| Chair |
Dr. Georgeanne Purvinis Friend |
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| Vice-chair |
Dr. M. A. Atmanand |
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Unmanned Maritime Vehicles (and Submersibles)
OES Technology Committees Coordinator Dr. John Watson j.watson@abdn.ac.uk
OES Vice President- Technical Dr.Albert (Sandy) J. Williams 3rd awilliams@whoi.edu
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