Aquatic visual data collector
AssigneeOcean Vision Environmental Research Pty Ltd
InventorsMatthew Harvey, Nicholas Dobson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for the collection of visual and related data on marine and other underwater habitats and fauna, in particular and without limitation for benthic habitats over significant spatial scales. The system can include elements such as a digital or video camera to receive visual images, various sensors to sense other related data and waterproof housings to protect various elements of the device. A sensor may for example be a global positioning system. The device can also include elements to control the device and to record, transfer & process the data.
Claims11
A system for monitoring benthic habitats from a manned boat, the system comprising:
- an underwater camera assembly having an underwater hub connected to a camera to provide visual images of the benthic habitat:
- one or more sensors mounted on the underwater camera assembly and connected to the underwater hub, wherein the one or more sensors include an image altimeter;
- a deck unit having an onboard hub operatively connected to one or more underwater hubs forming an extensible network with the camera and one or more underwater sensors to enable “plug-and-play” configuration in real time, and communication with and control of the camera and sensors by an operator on the boat to facilitate the capture of a sequence of operator-selected visual images simultaneous to and correlated in time and location with sensor data wherein successive images in a sequence are of spatially separate locations within a habitat;
- and
- a processor connected to the onboard hub for processing the images from the camera and the sensor data from the one or more sensors connected to the extensible network to provide statistically valid qualitative and quantitative assessment of the benthic habitats on a significant spatial scale.
A method for acquiring a statistically valid qualitative and quantitative assessment of a benthic habitat over a significant spatial scale comprising:
- deploying from a moving manned boat an underwater camera assembly having an underwater hub, a camera and one or more sensors mounted on the camera assembly, wherein the one or more sensors include an image altimeter;
- operatively connecting a deck unit, using an umbilical to the camera and the one or more sensors via the underwater hub creating an extensible network to enable communication and control between the deck unit, and the camera and the one or more sensors,
- operating the camera using the deck unit to facilitate the simultaneous capture of a sequence of operator-selected visual images of the benthic habitat and correlated sensor data wherein successive images in a sequence are of spatially separate locations within a benthic habitat;
- and
- processing the images and sensor data collected by means of the extensible network to provide statistically valid qualitative and quantitative assessment of the benthic habitat on a significant spatial scale.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.