Theme 1 : Maritime safety and security

Passive submerged sensors listen to undersea noise emissions. These noises are interpreted by geophysicists, seismologists and those responsible for the security of sensitive installations, such as harbours, naval bases and oil and gas exploration platforms, or for combating terrorism and illegal trafficking. ATOS marks a technological evolution in this field by integrating hydrophones into fibre laser cavities.

In the ATOS system, fibre optic technology provides for information capture and transfer and signal multiplexing, as well as offering the advantages of minimal attenuation, immunity from parasitic electromagnetic effects and broad bandwidth. This new generation probe requires no submerged electricity supply. It can be communicated with remotely via a small diameter, fibre optic cable that feeds into an onshore centre several kilometres from the submerged sensors. This new approach signals a break with the technology of past, extremely costly acoustic barriers: a string of hydrophones can be positioned every few dozen metres along a single fibre optic cable of just a few millimetres in diameter to create an extensive site surveillance cordon.

Project recognised jointly by the Pole Mer Bretagne and Pole PACA

Credit photo : IFREMER

ATOS project partners

Companies

• Thales Underwater System (TUS), Sophia-Antipolis, project director, sonar systems and undersea acoustic technology

• Thales Research & Technology (TRT), Palaiseau, multidisciplinary research into optics, optronics electronic components and materials

• QUANTEL, Lannion, solid-state lasers, fibre lasers and high-power lasers

• TEMEX, Sophia-Antipolis, high quality time/frequency electronics and digital modules

• CGG-Véritas, geophysics and oil and gas prospecting

Research centres

• University of Rennes I,

- FOTON/ENSSAT Lab, Lannion, optical components and systems for telecommunications networks

- EVC Lab (Glass and Ceramics Team), Rennes, non-conventional glass for specialised fibre optics

• PERFOS, Lannion, combined university/industry technology platform

• Ifremer, Toulon, oceanography, geophysics and seismic studies