Line sensor deployment and recovery apparatus and system with integrated level-wind

A sensor deployment and recovery apparatus with an integrated level-wind, comprising:

• a cylindrical drum, having an external surface with helical grooves, wherein the grooves facilitate a linear sensor array;
• a single motor configured to axially rotate the cylindrical drum, wherein the single motor is the only motor providing level-wind functionality;
• a level-wind shuttle, further comprising:
• a fairlead configured to selectively feed the linear sensor array into the helical grooves or deploy the linear sensor array from the helical grooves,
• a shuttle finger configured to align the shuttle with the helical grooves and receive a driving force from the cylindrical drum's rotations to drive the shuttle;
• and
• a shuttle track, oriented parallel to the drum and fixed in an offset position form the helical grooves at an operable track height, configured to facilitate linear traversal of the shuttle along the cylindrical drum.

A sensor deployment and recovery system with an integrated level-wind, comprising:

• a linear sensor array;
• a cylindrical drum, having an external surface with helical grooves, wherein the grooves facilitate the linear sensor array;
• a single motor configured to axially rotate the cylindrical drum;
• a level-wind shuttle, further comprising:
• a fairlead configured to selectively feed the linear sensor array into the helical grooves or deploy the linear sensor array from the helical grooves,
• a shuttle finger configured to align the shuttle with the helical grooves and receive a driving force from the cylindrical drum's rotations to drive the shuttle;
• and
• a shuttle track, oriented parallel to the drum and fixed in an offset position form the helical grooves at an operable track height, configured to facilitate linear traversal of the shuttle along the cylindrical drum.