The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is working on a system that will use existing vessels’ depth finders and GPS to track the safety and accessibility of inland waterways in near real-time. The effort, led by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), aims to crowdsource bathymetry data from both private and public vessels to support USACE’s survey fleet and reduce navigational threats. The information collected will be sent to a cloud platform, where it will be analyzed and aggregated with data from other vessels in the same area to provide a comprehensive snapshot of the waterway. This technology will provide a rolling picture of the waterway and assist in prioritizing survey fleet actions.
Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, the 55th Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of USACE, envisions the use of this crowdsourced bathymetry system as a digital traffic map for inland waterways, similar to popular apps that provide real-time updates on highway traffic. The system can have various applications, including assisting in response to natural disasters such as hurricanes. By utilizing data from public and private vessels already navigating in the area, USACE would be able to obtain real-time information about the federal navigation channel without the need for immediate deployment of survey vessels.
While the technology is not entirely new and is already being used for ocean and coastal operations by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the implementation of this system on inland waterways is groundbreaking. With buy-in from some Districts and Divisions, the program is awaiting additional funding to advance the technology. This technology will not only benefit mariners by alerting them to obstructions but will also aid commercial operations and navigation clearance teams by providing timely and accurate information.
