Hovercraft at Florida Tech

by Dr. Stephen Wood, Ocean Engineering Professor –

Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV), Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV), Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASV) and now Hovercraft!! Advanced ocean vehicle development is the way of life for Florida Institute of Technology’s Underwater Technologies professor Dr. Stephen Wood, Program Chair of the Ocean Engineering department.

He and the Underwater Technologies group of the Ocean Engineering department will soon receive from NAVSEA NSWC (Naval Surface Warfare Center) in Panama City, Florida their next vehicle to be further developed – a remotely controlled hovercraft.

This 12 foot by 7 foot vehicle about to be decommissioned by NAVSEA will be brought back to life by undergraduate and graduate ocean engineering students. This hovercraft will be upgraded with scientific instrumentation for coastal, estuary and swamp / Everglades‘ studies.

Soon to be capable of operating in either remote or autonomous mode this vehicle will soon be out and about preforming research to help understand what is happening environmentally to our community. Stay tuned to its arrival in February!

Key Words: Ocean Engineering, intelligent systems, autonomous vehicles, remotely operated vehicles, marine field projects, engineering design showcase.