ABERDEEN, Scotland (23 Mar 2007) -- A project to develop underwater radio communication has been unveiled by a Scottish consortium. It is aimed at helping workers such as divers communicate underwater, rather than using hand signals or writing. The Department of Trade and Industry awarded £560,000 to Aberdeen's Tritech International Ltd and Insensys Ltd and Livingston firm Wireless Fibre Systems. Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling unveiled the funding package in Aberdeen. The Livingston firm will lead the two-year research project. 'Exciting opportunity' Mr Darling said: "This is cutting-edge technology and that's why we're backing it. "We know that innovation and technology will be the key ways for Britain to maintain its place as a world leading economy. "This project demonstrates an opportunity to help establish British industry at the forefront of this field." Brendan Hyland, chairman of Wireless Fibre Systems, said: "We are delighted our consortium has received this grant. "It offers us an exciting opportunity to extend the UK's global lead in wireless underwater communications. "Over the next two years we will develop and launch a number of disruptive subsea radio frequency products that will enhance communications, control, networking and safety." | | ROPOS mini-sub The pressure in the vicinity of the ferry is about 600 pounds per square inch, too great to enable ordinary scuba divers to search the vessel. A diver encased in a more cumbersome "hard suit" could have worked that deep, but wouldn't have been able to remove large panes of glass and pry open doors as efficiently as the sub. It is designed to operate as deep as 5,000 metres, so working at the Queen of the North site was well within its capabilities. The modifications to the mini-sub were crucial in the safety board's investigation of the accident. "There was a navigation system that was basically just a PC and we reached in and recovered that," Shepherd said. "The TSB (took) all that stuff away and I believe they were able to get all the information off the hard drive." The BC Ferries report was released Monday, but the safety board report isn't expected for a couple of months. The Queen of the North dive was a considerable departure from the open-water research projects usually undertaken by CFFS. Not only was the sub crew mindful of the two passengers still listed as missing, but they also had to deal with technical challenges and potential hazards associated with working on the sunken ferry. "Just working around a shipwreck, instead of a scientific area, is different," Shepherd said. SOURCE - Victoria NewsSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
