Earlier inadequate devices of underwater excavations and surveillance were one of the snags that deferred scientists and biologists to reach certain viewpoint or opinion about marine or below the surface life.

Professors and students in the College of Engineering and the Biological Sciences Department in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences have jointly put together a 4′x3′x1′, 50-pound robotic flotation device and research tool, which basically is a laptop computer-operated boat that carries instruments to measure water’s temperature; depth; and pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrite, nitrate and ammonia levels to sample water parameters for environmental study and pollution monitoring, called Interactive Mobile Aqua Probing & Surveillance (IMAPS)

IMAPS equips a camera to exhibit under-water surface and with laptop and Internet, user can guide the IMAPS through a GPS device. It is flexible enough to observe creeks, marshy surfaces and tidal areas as well.

IMAPS certainly is an enhancement over typical field sampling methods that allow scientists to gather samples from difficult terrains for analysis, as well as enable local communities to monitor water pollution and identify a polluting cause.

Via: physorg