Posted by Courtney E. HowardCHATSWORTH, Calif., 20 Aug. 2011. U.S. Seismic Systems (USSI), a subsidiary of Acorn Energy Inc. (NADSAQ:ACFN), demonstrated its underwater harbor security system at a Lake Erie, Pa., test site under a contract with Penn State's Electro Optic Center sponsored by the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), in Crane, Ind. USSI engineers installed two fiber-optic sonar arrays on the lake bottom to detect small craft attempting to enter a protected region of interest (ROI). The USSI system detected all the intrusion attempts at ranges up to 4 kilometers, affirming the feasibility of using a low-cost, fiber-optic underwater sonar array for automated tripwire and ROI alarms in a harbor environment without operator intervention. USSI's equipment was part of the larger Harbor Sentinel integrated harbor security system, which includes surface search radar, thermal imaging cameras, and Automated Identification System (AIS) ship tracking information."There are 360 U.S. ports and harbors that conduct trillions of dollars commerce annually. Many of these facilities, which are located in close proximity to large metropolitan centers handle a variety of highly toxic, flammable, and explosive materials," says Jeff Grannan of NSWC. "Damage to or destruction of containers storing these substances poses a vulnerability to critical US infrastructure, disruption of commerce, and endangerment to the surrounding population. USSI's new sensor technology can be an effective force multiplier to assist those agencies tasked with the vital role of keeping America safe."
"Our fiber-optic sensor systems are designed for reliable, trouble-free operation in tough environments, such as in an oil well or at sea, and this highly successful test serves as just one more example of the advantages of our breakthrough technology over traditional, electronic-based sensor systems," says Jim Andersen, CEO of USSI.
