Thomas Misciagna

Thomas Misciagna

Disclaimer—This paper partially fulfills a writing requirement for first year (freshman) engineering students at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering. This paper is a student, not a professional, paper. This paper is based on publicly available information and may not provide complete analyses of all relevant data. If this paper is used for any purpose other than these authors’ partial fulfillment of a writing requirement for first year (freshman) engineering students at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, the user does so at his or her own risk.

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

Thomas Misciagna ()

Thomas Misciagna

EXPLORATION OF THE OCEANS

It is amazing that even in the twenty first century there is still little known about the earth’s oceans. As humans, we venture out further into space when there are so many benefits that could come from right here on our planet. The exploration of the oceans has gone on for hundreds of years, but we still know very little [1]. This can be explained by the fact that humans are not adept to working in conditions under water and, our oceans are just too massive. Underneath our oceans are vital resources like crude oil and minerals [1]. Increased exploration could lead us to the discovery of more of these resources that could benefit society. The whole world could gain from more crude oil. Engineers could benefit from exploration as it would give them more information on the ever changing environment in the ocean. Environmental change in the largest ecosystem on earth is important for engineers to learn and study from. Being a future engineer, I find exploration to be important and interesting to me.There are undiscovered areas and organisms living inside of the ocean that could lead to breakthroughs in medicine and technology [1].

The modern world relies heavily on crude oil every day. Crude oil is used in the production of many consumer goods including gasoline. The ocean is a massive source of crude oil because it covers 71% of the surface of the earth’s surface [2]. Exploration would lead to more crude oil and other resources. With a greater supply in oil, products could become cheaper to manufacture and therefore cheaper to purchase. In this way, the average consumer benefits from ocean exploration. In addition, the ocean is a massive food source and increase study could find more efficient ways to fish. Surveying the ocean could find out how many fish are left and how detrimental are methods are [1]. Society’s reliance on the ocean is what leads to a need for more exploration.

Engineers find innovative ways to solve problems, and there is a large problem in our oceans in that they are still a mystery. Engineers are the people who can make the machines and equipment that can aid in exploration. The potential of discovery is awaiting engineers, and they could benefit from the work and rewards. For engineers, increased exploration means more technological innovation. Humans can only go so deep in the sea and the problem of navigating the massive volume of water in very little light is what engineers must solve. In solving this problem, there will be many other challenges that will lead to more innovation. The concepts and ideas discovered within ocean exploration could be applied to other areas of engineering and science. Drone technology that is enhanced in an underwater environment could be applied to an aerial environment as well. This increased innovation is what makes the exploration so important to engineers.

I find the unknown to be fascinating. The idea that we do not know what is under our oceans is both frightening and intriguing. The possibility of finding energy sources underwater as well as other resources is what draws me near. Although we might not find energy sources at all. It is unknown and that is what I find interesting. There is such a possibility of finding what we really need but we just do not know. The thrill of possibly discovering a new species of fish or finding a massive deposit of crude oil under the ocean just seems exciting to me. I have always been someone who pushes into the unknown and is the first person to try something new and I feel as if that carries over into my life as an engineer.

The possible discovery under the ocean benefits society, engineers and myself. The resources available would help all consumers. The problem with discovery is that humans are not the best at doing so. The technology has to be made to improve the discovery and that technology comes in the form of AUVs.

AUV: AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLE

The exploration of our oceans is being pushed further by advances in technology that allow people to control devices to do the discovery for them. An autonomous underwater vehicle is a drone that is capable of traveling underwater unmanned to aid in the research process. The drone is fitted with sensors and scanners that allow it to map the ocean floor and scan it for possible objects or shifts in terrain. The sensors can detect changes in current and make measurements on temperature, sunlight, mineral amounts and ocean water content[3]. The device has made the exploration of the oceans so much easier and accessible then it was before.

The general populous can benefit from this sort of technology because it can search for valuable information at the bottom of the ocean.The AUV can do what humans would not be able to do underwater. It can scan the ocean floor for thousands of square miles to turn up any findings that it needs [4].It is the tool that can give information about the ocean and make finding resources that much easier. Society might not be directly using it, but they benefit from its discoveries.

It was engineers who aided in the making of the AUV to begin with. They provided the answer to the problem of exploration by creating it. The innovation behind creating the AUV helped to expand the field of engineering and create more opportunities to further the work of engineers. The need for exploring the oceans and creating new technology creates a need for engineers. The engineers are the ones who create the solutions to all of the problems that come with trying to expand. In breaking into a new frontier, problems are inevitable and engineers are the ones who solve those problems. The AUV is the product of the work of engineers so all engineers benefit from their work in expanding the field.

Drone technology is something that has progressed greatly in the past decade [4]. There is increased use of aerial drones in warfare and reconnaissance but drones in the water have just started gaining use by the United States Navy. I find this important as I enjoy discovery and want to be a part of discovery. The technology of drones is fascinating because the operator can be nowhere near the drone and still operate it and collect sufficient data. They can use the drone to do the exploration for them and keep people out of harm’s way. The idea of being far away and controlling a drone that is exploring for me is fascinating. If I were operating it then I could still be close to the action if I wanted or I could be far away and in control. AUV’s could really do serious work in exploration and that makes me excited.

THE BLUEFIN-21

The Bluefin-21 was created by Bluefin Robotics and can make precise surveys of deep water surfaces. It is an AUV that is small and capable of long underwater survey missions [5]. The U.S. Navy uses the submersible to do its underwater surveys. Specifically, the Bluefin-21 was used to search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight 370 in 2014. It searched 42,000 square miles of the seafloor in looking for the downed plane. In its mission to find the plane, it also scanned the entire seafloor to map the area and collect data [6].

Society gains from the searching powers of the Bluefin-21 because it is what searched for the missing Malaysian airplane. Everyone associated with the plane wanted to know what happened to it and national governments needed to know the whereabouts of the plane in order to rule out possible foul play. The Bluefin-21 could give them that information. Even though the plane was never found, the AUV still provided the information about the sea floor and gave hope to the people who were searching.

Engineers can find their fame in some places and this is an example of that. The Bluefin-21 was used as a crucial tool in a story with wide international media coverage. This adds to the recognition of the engineers and gives them more of a reason to continue their work. It draws attention to engineers and their findings and can provide them with more funding and opportunities. Increasing the fame of engineers through the use of their technology can push the field further into more unknown. The Bluefin-21’s search of the Malaysian Airline flight 370 can provide the recognition that engineers need.

I find the Bluefin-21 to be a very important piece of technology as I am a future engineer who is going to be working in the industry one day. The idea of engineering getting international recognition like in the case of the missing Malaysian airplane is comforting to me. I enjoy seeing innovation, and I think the use of the technology in this way is what makes it important. I find the technology of AUVs so important because they can be used for exploration and search. They were used and can continue to be used for similar issues in the future. The Bluefin-21 can be used for other missions in the same area and continue to push engineering into the limelight.

SOURCES

[1] R. Ballard. “Why We Must Explore the Sea.” 10.01.2014. Accessed 10.29.2016.

[2] “What is Ocean Exploration and Why is it Important?” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. 07.24.2014. Accessed 10.29.2016.

[3] “Amazing AUVs.” Canadian Geographic. 12.01.2014. Accessed 10.29.2016.

[4]S. Ceurstemont. “Dropped in the Ocean.” New Scientist. 07.30.2016. Accessed 10.29.2016.

[5] “Bluefin-21.” Bluefin Robotics. Accessed 10.29.2016.

[6] “Drone Diving.” New Scientist. 04.19.2014. Accessed 10.29.2016.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Maggie Milantoni for encouraging me to continue writing and finishing my assignment.

Thomas Misciagna