KCF Smart Tether Demonstrated for Use in Hull Inspection and Explosive Ordnance Disposal

On July 21st, 2009, personnel from KCF Technologies and VideoRay demonstrated the Smart Tether for evaluation by NAVEODTECHDIV for integration into the Navy DHINS and HULS programs. The demonstration primarily focused on an operational hull inspection of the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy, as well as an inspection of Pier 4 where it is moored at the Philadelphia Naval Business Center. Navigation was performed using the Smart Tether in both hull search and pier search operations in close proximity to the ship. The scan was aided by the use of a BlueView 900 kHz SONAR and the VideoRay camera for capturing images of the ship and pier.

The Smart Tether was used in the location and reacquisition of multiple targets, demonstrating the Smart Tether's accuracy and repeatability. The Smart Tether's ability to mark targets makes it simple to mark a point of interest and reacquire it quickly and accurately at a later time if necessary.

During the demonstration, the Smart Tether provided constant, real-time position information for the ROV, making it much easier to understand the BlueView SONAR imagery and maintain accurate positioning relative to the ship. The Smart Tether's ability to display the entire tether's shape also proved useful in avoiding and diagnosing tether entanglements or snags.

Marked Targets	JFK Propeller SONAR Image