Resources

Educate, Inform, Train

"New technologies should allow researchers, managers, educators, and enforcement personnel to be remotely connected to a sophisticated array of facilities, instruments, and databases; however, these technologies are not readily available today. Better planning and new funding will be needed to bridge this technology gap and revolutionize ocean science and management. If not remedied, a decline in U.S. leadership in marine technology development will result in increasing reliance on foreign capabilities."

—The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy,
in An Ocean Blueprint for the 21^st Century

One of the most efficient ways to encourage advancement of AUV technology is to ensure that current and emerging technologies are documented and adequately made available to prospective users. AUVAC hopes to accomplish this by maintaining a basic level of documentation on the various AUV systems and technologies. This documentation will serve to educate users on AUV technologies by identifying what capabilities are possible, what capabilities are not currently possible, and what technologies are being developed.

By consolidating and distributing this information, AUVAC educates developers of AUV technology on current needs as well as educate scientific and government users on the information available to them through the use of AUVs.

This website and data portal is being implemented to help provide information to the international ocean community. A key component of its function to educate users, this website proposes to go beyond just "posting" white papers. It allows interconnectivity among users, developers and fabricators and allows for information sharing via standard data formats, on-line access to data products, and on-line access to related AUV information. The site showcases available technologies as well as bringing attention to development efforts in applicable technology, science, and user disciplines. On the other hand, the website developers are also sensitive to the need for security related to some of the data and information available at AUVAC. This need is being investigated through interaction with AUVAC members.

As you explore the information available on these pages, please feel free to provide us with changes or corrections to existing information, or let us know of additions that should be made to the information on the site. The value of this site is a direct function of the input from you and others interested in this technology.