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Contact: Nancy Lovato, 818-354-0474





       Developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., the Robotics Engineering Consortium at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Penn., and UltraStrip Systems, Inc., Stuart, Fla., the new system consists of an automated robotic device that is magnetized to the ship, a set of high-pressure jet streams, and a controller that helps the robot navigate along the surface of the ship. The water is filtered and then reused, while the paint residue is collected in a container and can then be disposed of safely. Using this method, no toxic dust or paint flakes are generated to pollute nearby areas or to be inhaled by system operators.

       "Having now personally seen demonstrations of the M2000, I know the system works," said Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures, Santa Barbara, Calif. "It is inspiring to see a technology that can have such a positive environmental impact while, at the same time, providing a benefit to the profitability of the shipyard industry."




       Still in development are computer-vision-based cruise control, sensors to detect surface quality, paint thickness, and any paint left on the hull, and diagnostic and analytic tools to optimize the speed of the robot for efficient and effective operations.


       The consortium is managed by Marzwell at JPL and Rick Kadunc from the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. UltraStrip's president is Dennis McGuire. Cousteau is also on the board of UltraStrip.

       An image of the device is available at:


4-13-2000 NL