Researchers from the ViInstitute of Geodesy and Cartography prepare to test their seafloor mapping vehicle by the Hong (Red) River. The unmanned surface vehicles, developed in Vietnam, can gather data from areas of the ocean floor and river beds inaccessible to humans. (Photo: baotainguyenmoitruong.vn)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - A group ofVietnamese researchers has created an unmanned vehicle that can be used tocreate maps of the ocean floor and collect environmental data.
The 60kg vehicle has a composite shell and cancollect data from 1-1,000 metres below the surface. It sends data to ananalysis centre via radio signal and the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS).
Equipped with data recording software, a camera,a satellite locator, an antenna and an echo sounding device, the vehicle runson two batteries and can operate for eight to 10 hours straight.
It performed well when tested in fast-flowingareas of the Lo and Da rivers and near the island district of Van Don in thecoastal province of Quang Ninh, Tai nguyen Moi truong (NaturalResources) online newspaper reported.
The vehicle was created by researchers from the VietnamInstitute of Geodesy and Cartography under the Ministry of Natural Resourcesand Environment (MONRE) as a result of a project that is running from January2018 to June 2020.
It operates with two systems that have neverbeen successfully assembled in Vietnam before, according to Luu Hai Au,director of the institute’s Centre for Informatics and Geodesy.
They include a satellite positioning systemrunning with virtual reference station (VRS) technology attached to an unmannedaerial vehicle and a software system that integrates echo sounding devices viaan internal measurement unit, he said.
“The theories of operation of these two systemswere thoroughly studied by MONRE and were proven effective after being put intoproduction,” Au said.
"Mapping the topography of the ocean floorand river beds with echo sounding devices attached to unmanned surface vehiclesis new to Vietnam, though the technique is practised worldwide," he said.
The unmanned surface vehicle would help createlarge-scale topographic maps of areas with dangerous terrain inaccessible tohumans and those that are polluted, he said.
“It can also gather water pollution data andhelp to detect factories that release untreated waste into the environment,”said Au.-VNS/VNA
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Researchers from the ViInstitute of Geodesy and Cartography prepare to test their seafloor mapping vehicle by the Hong (Red) River. The unmanned surface vehicles, developed in Vietnam, can gather data from areas of the ocean floor and river beds inaccessible to humans. (Photo: baotainguyenmoitruong.vn) 
