Opto 22 PAC goes to the bottom of the Mariana Trench

May 2012 News

Industrial controls manufacturer Opto 22 played a central role in the reliable operation of filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence James Cameron’s technologically advanced prototype submersible Deepsea Challenger. Cameron recently piloted the submersible in a successful descent of almost 11 km to the ‘Challenger Deep’, the deepest point in the world’s oceans. Cameron’s descent was part of the Deepsea Challenge expedition, a joint scientific expedition by James Cameron, National Geographic and Rolex to conduct deep-ocean research and exploration to learn more about the biology and geology of the deepest point on Earth.

Aboard the Challenger, Opto 22’s SNAP PAC system, a computer-based, programmable automation control system, acts as a central controller that manages more than 180 interconnected onboard systems, including sensors, batteries, thrusters, life support, lighting and 3D cameras.

For the complete article http://www.opto22.com/lp/deepsea_challenge.aspx

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