The University of Hawaii has partnered with Ohio company Battelle to market an unmanned robotic vessel capable of exploring disaster zones in harbor ports before first-responder personnel, according to Pacific Business News.
The Unmanned Port Security Vessel can simultaneously map the sea floor in high resolution, take photographs from above and below the water, detect chemical leaks or skills, and relay real-time video. It was developed as part of the UH Innovation Initiative. Battelle is working with the Center for Island, Maritime, and Extreme Environment for Security (headquartered at UH) to evaluate and transition technologies developed by researchers there.
The UPSV could remap a harbor for debris and obstructions within five hours, after a tsunami for example.