Taking the Saab Seaeye Falcon offshore allows students to explore the potential of underwater robotic systems in a practical environment.

Northwestern Michigan College is the first in the United States to offer a Bachelor of Science in Maritime Technology, including courses in calibration, deployment, operation, maintenance and management of marine technology assets, including data collection, processing and mapping.

Part of the course involves examining shipwrecks at depths of approximately 150 m using Saab Seaeye’s Falcon ROV outfitted with an advanced sonar system. The exercise helps students understand underwater robotics as a multicomponent resource used across a wide range of subsea activities.

Students in the program experience a range of imaging and profiling data collection options including bathymetric measurement, seafloor imaging, obstacle avoidance, structural inspection and vessel hull inspection.

Northwestern Michigan College notes an increasing number of women interested in the underwater technologies program, which Saab Seaeye says echoes its own observations and findings from the National Science Foundation.

Read more at Saab Seaeye.