R&D projects
The French Oceanographic Fleet has developed applied research in cooperation with national, European and international industry and academics with a view to providing, in the short and medium terms, improvements to the capacity and performance of ships and devices. This research has enabled the progressive development of solid expertise in key areas:
- In the field of underwater acoustics, the development of tools and methods for processing and controlling the quality of the data acquired by sonar systems, as well as new methods and procedures leading to the improved performance of embedded systems.
- In the field of environmental acoustics, the development of a unique skillset in France on the protocols for using acoustic equipment and studying the impact of sound on marine fauna required for obtaining permission to undertake cruises.
- Developing software suites and tools for post-processing data acquired by the sonar systems of ships and devices and “real-time” software for acquiring and visualizing data. The result of a historical undertaking by IFREMER in this field, these very operational tools are widely distributed on international fleets and some have even imposed themselves as the de facto standard, or have served to build research partnerships with other organizations.
- Construction of satellite telecommunications solutions for ships.
- Combining skills in the physical sciences (optics, acoustics), IT and robotics, the development of hardware and software solutions for increasing the operational effectiveness of devices, their performance and the quality of the data they produce: optical imaging systems (video cameras, lighting, image flow management) and generic imaging processing, piloting software and controlling software embedded in submersibles.
