BGU Students Develop Autonomous Submarine
BGU Students Develop Autonomous Submarine
July 24, 2013
Jewish Business News — A team of BGU students has designed and developed an intelligent, autonomous submarine called the “Hydro Camel,” the first of its kind in Israel.
Many remotely operated submarines exist that handle important tasks such as checking underwater pipelines, mapping underwater minefields and searching for sunken vessels. However, these submarines are limited by effective communication cables and require frequent human-operator contact.
“BGU is developing a more accurate and effective autonomous, independently thinking underwater vessel that would revolutionize the submarine’s ability to carry out other tasks,” says BGU student Boris Braginsky, a Hydro Camel team member.
The cylindrical, carbon fiber Hydro Camel submarine measures some five feet (1.5 m), weighs 84 lbs. (38 kg) and is divided into five main cells. The four side cells, filled with water, contain six thrusters, a robotic arm, torpedoes, batteries, and cameras. The central cell houses the electrical system, main computer and all electrical components.
Testing the Hydro Camel in the BGU pool in Beer-Sheva
BGU’s Hydro Camel team traveled to San Diego to take part in the 16th Annual RoboSub Competition, being held July 22-28, 2013.
The international competition, sponsored by the U.S. Office of Naval Research and the Association of Unmanned Vehicles International (AUVSI) Foundation, featured 36 teams of university and high school students.
“After the competition, we plan to further develop the submarine to its optimum capabilities, which we hope will place the State of Israel at the forefront in developing tools for marine autonomy,” says team Hydro Camel member Guy Kagan.
Read more on the Jewish Business News website >>
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