Apple’s iPads are not designed to be submerged in water, but a Navy scientist found a way to use the tablet under the ocean’s surface as part of a recent optics experiment conducted by the Naval Research Lab’s (NRL’s) Oceanography Divison.
Due to the nature of their work at sea, the Navy and Marine Corps constantly work to better understand ocean optics -- or the behavior and properties of light under the sea -- to safely and effectively perform functions such as hunting for undersea mines, engaging in dive operations, and creating models for the performance of anti-submarine activities.
Most of the US military’s interest to date in using tablets like the iPad -- such as with the Army’s online mobile application store and other initiatives -- has been due to their ability to support custom applications and networking capabilities.
Navy researchers drop an iPad attached to a custom-built frame called the "image Measurement Assembly for Subsurface Turbulence, or iMAST" into the ocean near the Bahamas to perform an experiment in ocean optics. (Source: Naval Research Lab)
However, for the NRL’s Bahamas Optical Turbulence Experiment (BOTEX) -- conducted by a team from its Stennis Space Center in collaboration with Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute -- it was the iPad’s LCD screen that made it useful for the military’s needs, according to the NRL.
The team -- led by Dr. Weilin Hou from the NRL-SSC -- set sail off the coast of the Bahamas for an ocean optics experiment aimed at improving undersea visibility. The team’s goal was to obtain field measurements of optical turbulence structures to determine their impact on underwater imaging and the propagation of light beams.
As an engineering person, I say Yay, using an everyday item which seems to have the flexibility to be used in such an unusual context, - that is what I do for a living, and that is what we all need to do.
In regards ervin, have you really read this article? you cite phones, but it was a tablet, don't let your misplaced loyalty to Bill Gates or "how we always do things" interfere with your problem solving abilities.
Interesting use. Try one of the Android phones its cheaper.... Im sure a dozen other handheld phones can do the same.... some smart phones you can even strap to your wrist and pay less. ohh and i dont think you pay for android so yes you can install it in a System-On-Chip and build what ever custom device you want???
Its ok we know all the Apple Zealots are out there promoting iPad... i still say free software is better.... And hardware that can run on free software is even better :)
Great, Navy. I think NASA would have launch several careers and employed a number of research universities - in any event, they would have found a solution.
Being a Navy man, I can assure you the Navy WILL find a way. It would be interesting to see a depth ruggedized version for research and/or SEAL team use. Way to go FAU and Harbor Branch!
Once again, we see the advantages of pervasiveness. The story notes that the advantage of the iPad was its ability to support custom applications. Also, "other options were too expensive or would take too long to deliver." The lesson is that success breeds success.
I'm with you Beth. Much like the experimentalists that hacked Microsoft's Kinect integrated sensor bar and brought them kicking and screaming toward their new product Kinect for Windows, innovators will continue to use what they have on hand to accomplish their tasks. If a $499 iPAD does the trick, I say hooray. Place it in the toolbox along side the duct tape, paperclips, and famous multi-thousand dollar hammers... =]
Definitely one of the more out-there uses of the iPad that I've seen to date. Not sure a ruggedized or military version of the iPad is in keeping with Apple's aesthetic design sensibilities, but I suppose there are plenty of groups like this Naval team that will do whatever it takes to retrofit what they see as the right tool for the project at hand.
For 3D printing to make the jump from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, engineers will need to find easier ways to move products from their CAD screens to their printers.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New versions of BASF's Ecovio line are both compostable and designed for either injection molding or thermoforming. These combinations are becoming more common for the single-use bioplastics used in food service and food packaging applications, but are still not widely available.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
2 
