The Deep Submergence Laboratory

The goal of the Deep Submergence Laboratory (DSL) is to accelerate man's exploration of the deep-sea floor by developing systems for remote, unmanned exploration. The discovery of R.M.S. Titanic by DSL engineers, using equipment designed in the Laboratory, provides a vivid example of DSL's capabilities. DSL engineers and scientists are adapting state-of-the-art automatic control methodologies to remotely operated underwater vehicles and manipulators for close-up observations and sample gathering. They are designing ship-towed instrument packages with low-light-level television cameras, extremely bright photolights, and high-resolution sidescan sonars for rapid, large-area exploration. DSL is the base for the remotely-operated vehicles and instruments ARGO, ABE, Jason/Medea, and the DSL-120 sonar sled. DSL also maintains a test-bed underwater vehicle and test tank facility for basic research in underwater vehicle dynamics and control.

Mail Stop # 7
Dept. Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA

+1-508-289-2851
+1-508-457-2191 (fax)
http://www.dsl.whoi.edu

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