Hawai'i firm chosen in Navy whale study
By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Science Writer
A Honolulu firm that specializes in remote imaging technology will use its hyperspectral camera to identify submerged whales off the Florida coast starting this week.
Science and Technology International (STI) won a contract with the U.S. Navy to identify submerged mammals in the Atlantic Ocean along Florida's northeast coast. STI president Nick Susner said the Navy is especially interested in whale migration patterns.
STI will use a 200-foot-long blimp fitted with the hyperspectral imager. The project, which starts Tuesday, will take three weeks.
The blimp filled with helium gas will carry a 30-foot gondola. Two Lycoming engines give it a top speed of more than 60 mph, and a cruising speed of 40 mph.
STI corporate communications director Linda Jameson said one concern has been the possibility of ships colliding with whales. Last year, three cargo ships arrived in West Coast ports with dead fin whales caught on the underwater projections jutting from their bows.
Hyperspectral cameras can detect far more variations in light than the human eye, and identify objects below the surface from subtle differences in color. The camera was developed to identify variations in vegetation on land, but its use expanded to locating submarines and mines. STI is developing an array of other uses.
One application, also starting this week, is mapping Hawai'i's coastal shoreline to a depth of about 100 feet. STI also participates in the annual statewide humpback whale count.
Late last year, STI used the East Coast blimp to conduct target detection exercises for homeland security operations. The hyperspectral imager was able to pick out mines and even life jackets, it said.
The company uses conventional fixed-wing aircraft for its work in Hawai'i. It can work from helicopters, but sees value in the lighter-than-air craft because of its stability and fuel efficiency.
"The airship has the potential to be a command center in the sky during a national crisis. ... It can stay airborne for a few days, and it's cost-effective primarily due to using less fuel," said Susner.
Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 245-3074.
