Subsea Data Systems Receives Grant Support From Schmidt Marine Technology Partners
Subsea Data Systems, Inc., a partnership between Samara/Data and Ocean Specialists, Inc., is pleased to announce grant support from Schmidt Marine Technology Partners (SMTP), part of the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Network. SMTP provides “venture philanthropy” funding to support the development of new ocean technologies which require sustained support to achieve full potential and availability to the broadest user base. The grant will enable Subsea Data Systems to continue development of the first complete sensor system for SMART Cable repeaters (amplifiers) that will be incorporated into future regional and trans-oceanic subsea fiber cable systems. Subsea Data Systems is working with the University of Hawai`i at Manoa, who is managing the grant through its leadership within the ITU/WMO/UNESCO-IOC Joint Task Force for SMART Subsea Cables.
“We’re elated to receive such generous grant support from Schmidt Marine Technology Partners. The timing couldn’t be better as we continue our fast-paced R&D efforts to progress our benchtop SMART sensor system to a fully operational system ready for ocean testing,” said Matt Fouch, President of Subsea Data Systems. “Support from a major philanthropic organization like Schmidt Marine Technology Partners provides further confirmation of the essential need for SMART Cables in monitoring and research applications. We’re excited to leverage these funds to deliver our solution to operational SMART Cables as quickly as possible.”
“I really think SMART Cables offer profound potential to transform how we collect data across whole oceans in ways that will help us answer some of the most pressing questions,” said Mark Schrope, Director of Schmidt Marine Technology Partners. “It’s great to see this work moving forward so quickly.”
SMART Cables are an innovative real-time deep ocean monitoring technology that will facilitate fundamental improvements in Tsunami Early Warning (TEW), Earthquake Early Warning (EEW), global climate monitoring and telecommunications resiliency. The innovation is to tightly integrate sensors into the amplifiers (“repeaters”) used to boost signals in the optical fibers. The research-grade package includes a 3-axis seismic sensor, absolute pressure gauge, and temperature sensor, integrated with data acquisition circuits with suitable dynamic range and precision, a common communications module, an interface suitable for fiber optic cable spans up to 120 km in length, software and firmware necessary to support the data path, an isolated power source, and precision timing. The Subsea Data Systems SMART sensor design is modular, allowing different sensors, adaptation to different repeater housings, or use as a standalone unit.
The development and deployment of SMART Cables will enhance scientific understanding of Earth’s oceans, seafloor, and subsurface via a fundamentally new approach to long-term subsea sensor network deployments. SMART Cables will provide essential new data to reduce disaster risk and improve global climate understanding, thereby reducing societal and environmental vulnerabilities to these long- and short-term threats.
A link to the Schmidt Marine Technology Partners announcement can be found here.
About Subsea Data Systems
Subsea Data Systems provides the full spectrum of SMART Cable hardware, software, and data management solutions for a broad customer base of telecommunications providers, U.S. federal agencies, and international groups designing and building SMART Cable projects. Our team melds domain-specific expertise in submarine fiber optic network development and deployment, federal government and academic research and development, and scientific and technical subject matter. Email info@subseadatasystems.com for more details.
