565 



16 EXPANDING THE USES OF NA VAL OCEAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 



systems and optical systems configured for side-scan and wide-swath mapping. 

 Other technologies for object surveillance, location, and identification use mono- 

 chromatic laser-line scanners, synthetic aperture sonar, and magnetic anomaly 

 detection to identify mine-like objects. 



Research into increasing efficiency in the work environment includes under- 

 water light propagation and miniaturization of acoustic sensors for hand-held 

 units. Underwater life-support systems under development include self-con- 

 tained breathing apparatus and rebreathing systems. Work systems currently 

 used in the underwater workplace may be improved with research into fiber-optic 

 lines for high-bandwidth data transmission, special couplers and optical signal 

 processors for undersea use, and diver work tools that are powered by seawater 

 and are resistant to corrosion and contamination. 



ONR is developing high-speed data communications for autonomous vehicle 

 and other undersea naval applications and small, efficient undersea power sources. 

 Real-time feedback control systems that adapt both to a changing environment 

 and to knowledge "learned" in real time will provide efficient use of resources 

 and immediate data collection. 



Simulatws that operate in tandem over networks are in use for training and 

 for design performance evaluation of new concepts. As simulations become 

 more complex and the amount of required common information grows for linked 

 simulations (e.g., background weather linked to a navigational simulator), the 

 need for standards of intersimulator control becomes more critical. Increasingly 

 accurate and fast replication of complex situations in "virtual environments," 

 possibly by linked simulators, will provide a basis for comprehensive training 

 and mission rehearsal in the future. 



This technology could be of value to any company interested in underwater 

 construction and repair (e.g., oil and gas platform construction, shipbuilding, 

 submersible development). ONR has made no formal effort to inform these 

 industries of the opportunities for technology transfer and the benefits it repre- 

 sents. The committee concluded, based on the considerable list of technological 

 developments provided by ONR staff (Appendix D) and the apparent lack of 

 involvement of marine industry representatives with ONR, that the amount of 

 technology available far outweighs the amount successfully transferred. 



COATINGS AND MATERIALS 



The annual costs to the Navy for biological fouling and corrosion are $1 

 billion and $2 billion, respectively. To combat these two problems, ONR spon- 

 sors research on corrosion- and fouling-resistant coatings at NRL and several 

 research universities. Many such coatings developed at NRL have recently seen 

 wider use by the fleet. This trend should continue, especially given the increas- 

 ing environmental restrictions on the use of certain, more traditional, coatings 

 and coating solvents that may contain organotin compounds, chromates, or lead. 



