Stockbridge Jr./Sr. High School InvenTeam

Stockbridge, Michigan
2019-2020

Our invention is the Emperor Micro- Lander. The Emperor Micro-Lander is a small, untethered free undersea vehicle for benthic operations. It is hand deployable from small boats. The product we envision will be lightweight, portable and durable. The system will be small enough to be carried onto a commercial aircraft to simplify shipping with no hazardous material. The Emperor Micro-Lander will carry cameras, lights and a conductivity, depth and temperature (CTD) sensor or other custom sensor packages as needed. It will use a biodegradable sacrificial weight for the anchor, that can be locally sourced in any port ‘o call. The micro lander can reach a maximum depth of 100 meters and maintain an upright position regardless of seafloor topography. A locator beacon will help with its self-recovery system. The Emperor Micro-Lander can be programmed to remain underwater for up to a week depending upon the needs of the researcher and return to the surface autonomously. The Emperor Micro-Lander fills a void in the current marketplace for a low cost, easy to deploy, operate, and recover sensor system that can be used by professional researchers and citizen scientists alike.