Attitude sensor calibration

Gliders dead-reckon when underwater using pitch and heading measurements from an attitude sensor (among other things). To get the most accurate readings for these, we need to account for magnetic fields within the glider (e.g. from batteries or a thruster). To do this we hoist the glider up into our custom-made gyro frame (built by Brian Claus) and rotate the vehicle through all three axes of rotation. Special software builds up a point cloud from the resulting attitude observations, finds the best fit to them and outputs a calibration for the sensor.

Jack Foley in action rotating the glider

Here we're just testing out this technique. When doing a real calibration, the frame needs to be away from structures like cars and buildings, which have their own magnetic fields.

Photo credits: Robin Matthews

Glider deployment toolkit

These tools of the glider trade each have an important use:

Pilot's cap: To shield out the sun and identify who's in charge

Binoculars: For spotting the glider at a distance

Satellite phone: For communicating with glider pilots back at mission HQ in St. John's

Pocket knife: To quickly cut away line when doing a tethered test dive and the line gets tangled or caught

iPad: To use an app we've developed for monitoring deployed gliders (uGlide)

GPS watch: To navigate to the glider's location

Chart: To identify bottom depths and hazardous bathymetric features

Trinity Bay Recovery

Our two gliders in Trinity Bay were recovered yesterday. They had spent 35 days traversing the bay, measuring temperature, salinity and oxygen. Our thanks to the crew of fishing vessel Gracie's Adventure for the recovery effort.

Glider waiting to be picked up

Photo credit: Robin Matthews 

Recovery offshore of Heart's Content

Photo credit: Robin Matthews

Hauling the glider into the skiff. The guy with the pole is doing underwater filming.

Photo credit: Robin Matthews

Glider recovered, the skiff heads back to the parent ship

Photo credit: Robin Matthews

Hoisting the glider aboard Gracie's Adventure

Photo credit: Armin Strobel

 Down she comes

Photo credit: Robin Matthews

  The gliders arrive back in Heart's Content

Photo credit: Armin Strobel

Trinity Bay Mission 2014

On Tuesday we deployed two of our 1000m gliders in Trinity Bay to start a new multi-week mission. We transported the gliders by fishing vessel out of Heart's Content and deployed them off Winterton. We thank the crew of Gracie's Adventure for their help.

Mike Hakomaki radios in to get clearance to deploy

Mike and Sam Banton swing the glider out over the side on its cart 

and let it slide into the water

Mike pulls the cart back aboard while the glider drifts free of the skiff

Photo credits: Robin Matthews

TriBay 2014 Map

View track:
1000m glider #1
1000m glider #2

Mission Complete: Nov 4th 2014








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Hudson cruise highlights (July 2014)

Additional photos taken during the July 2014 cruise of the CCGS Hudson. 

See previous posts for other trip photos.

Beautiful pre-departure weather in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Photo credit: Robin Matthews

Fog, fog and more fog

Photo credit: Robin Matthews

Descending in the Hudson's zodiac (better than most theme park rides). Photo credits: Dave Herbert

Iceberg seen en-route to St. John's. Note the smaller bergy bits floating in the foreground
Photo credit: Robin Matthews

St. John's with Signal Hill on the right

Photo credit: Robin Matthews

A very close encounter with a whale

When the fog finally did lift we were treated to some nice sunsets

Photo credit: Tara Howatt 

Sunset and a whale

Photo credit: Tara Howatt

Sailing into Halifax

Photo credit: Robin Matthews

Arrival at the the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth

Photo credit: Robin Matthews

Glider Recovery

Our two 1000m gliders were recovered on Friday August 22nd, bringing the Summer 2014 Labrador Current mission to a close.

 The fishing boat we chartered from Twillingate, Newfoundland.

The crew and myself (far right).
The guy to my left is off of the hit Discovery Channel show Cold Water Cowboys. 

Recovering a glider with Mike Hakomaki (left).

Photo credits: Robin Matthews