Lora Van Uffelen, Ph.D. of Ocean Engineering University of Rhode Island

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) provide reliable positioning for the land, air, and space domains, but are not very useful below the sea surface.  Sound can travel long distances underwater and can be used for positioning of underwater vehicles, sensors, and even animals.   This talk will provide an overview of different methods for determining position underwater using acoustics and will explore the challenges and potential for the implementation of a large-scale acoustic positioning system underwater.

Biography:

Lora Van Uffelen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ocean Engineering at the University of Rhode Island, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in underwater acoustics and leads the Ocean Platforms, Experiments, and Research in Acoustics (OPERA) Lab. 

She earned her Ph.D. in Oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego and has a B.S. in Engineering from Hope College.  Her current research projects focus on long-range underwater acoustic propagation, Arctic acoustics, vehicle and marine mammal localization, and acoustic sensing on underwater vehicles.  She has participated in more than 20 research cruises with over 400 days at sea.

Email:

Address:Ocean Engineering , University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island, United States, 02882