Marine Navigation and the Development of the Motion Reference Unit

Posted by Will Dillingham on Jun 18, 2020 3:22:54 PM

History of Marine Navigation

                The Stars

Early sea-fairing explorers utilized the stars as their navigational aid. Celestial navigation, or otherwise known as astronavigation utilized devices such as the gnomon, Kamal, sea astrolabe, quadrant, cross-staff, back-staff and sextant.

               Magnetic Compass

Dating back as early as 200 BCE in China during the reign of the Qin dynasty, the Chinese originally used magnetism to construct fortune-telling boards, which turned out to be used for following directions in more than one way (1). Early magnetic compasses began to be commonly used as navigation aids in the 11th century.

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Topics: GPS Denied Navigation, GPS-Aided Navigation, Navigation, Marine, History

The MRU-PD: A Motion, Heading and Position Sensor for Marine Applications

Posted by Will Dillingham on Mar 16, 2020 5:19:29 PM

Hydrography and Bathymetry

Bathymetric or Hydrographic surveys are survey methods used for submarine topography that have been implemented for observation of marine landscapes and structures for several decades. With the technology for executing a survey becoming more affordable, many businesses which can benefit from such data begin to pursue the proper equipment to use for themselves. Most users have a common goal of being environmentally aware of changes occurring due to the interaction with nature. Studying these changes usually involves measuring physical and chemical features of a body of water; or generating a 3D map of an underwater landscape/structure, to show its current state, or how it changes over time. A few examples of these survey methods being put into practice are:

  • Floodplain analysis
  • Dock maintenance
  • Seafloor tectonic interpretation
  • Submarine life conservation
  • Submarine natural resources deposit investigations
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Topics: Surveying, Navigation, Marine, Dynamic Positioning


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