The Surface and Underwater Robotics Facility (SURF) came online in August 2020 with the completion of USNA's newest education building, Hopper Hall. At the heart of the state-of-the-art capabilities in the SURF is a 40'x38'x16' temperature-controlled pool. A motorized 40 foot catwalk spans the water surface allowing operators to easily access all regions of the pool without entering. The SURF is outfitted with 16 Qualisys underwater motion capture cameras capable of tracking objects at up to 300Hz in the pool volume, complemented by a synchronized above water motion capture system of 24 IP67 water resistant motion capture cameras. The twin motion capture systems are co-calibrated to simultaneously track objects in the air, on the surface, and underwater and through domain (air-surface, air-underwater, surface-underwater, etc.) transitions. The facility also has light spectrum control allowing operators to emulate lighting conditions of outdoor environments. A 2-ton overhead crane spans the length of the building and connects to the tow tank facilities in Rickover Hall, enabling seamless transport between facilities and to outdoor testing sites on the Severn River.

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Contact Information

Location: HP045E
For questions, please contact Dr. DeVries.