New Technology Adds Dimension To Memorial

The National Park Service is adding an entirely new dimension to the visitor experience and ongoing research at the USS Arizona Memorial by capturing the submerged battleship in stereoscopic three-dimensional high definition (3D HD) imagery.

The USS Arizona, as it now rests submerged in Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, has become a symbol that memorializes one of the most pivotal events of the 20th century. Nearly 1.5 million people make the journey to the USS Arizona Memorial each year to understand and contemplate the events of December 7, 1941. These visitors pay their respects to those 2,390 Americans who lost their lives on Oahu and the more than 900 sailors and marines still entombed within Arizona.

Over a ten-day field project, the NPS and several research partners will capture new underwater imagery that will be used to create an immersive experience in 3D HDTV on the submerged battleship. The 3D-HD technology uses two parallel high definition camera systems to capture images that our brains interpret as three dimensional and is similar to the technology now being used in the entertainment industry.

“This is not the gimmicky 3D movies with red and blue cardboard glasses of years past” says Brett Seymour of the NPS Submerged Resources Center. “This is a documentary-style presentation brought to life as the viewer is immersed in the waters of Pearl Harbor and experiences USS Arizona as a touchstone of history.”

“In addition to an educational and visitor experience products, these cameras generate high resolution video and still images that are critical to the site stewardship and on-going research in the areas of structural integrity and oil release,” said superintendent Paul DePrey.

The underwater 3D HD camera systems designed and built by the Advanced Imaging and  visualization Laboratory at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will be used by NPS researchers to document the battleship’s exterior. An additional miniature underwater 3D HD system will be mounted on a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, provided by VideoRay LLC to perform a non-invasive, condition assessment of accessible cabins in the interior of the ship.

“These new underwater stereoscopic, 3D survey tools we have developed enable maritime archeologists to conduct extremely accurate surveys of the exteriors and interiors of sunken vessels quickly and at resolution levels never thought obtainable,” says William Lange, head of the Woods Hole lab. “We are bringing the researchers into the very areas they are interested in observing – without ever having to get wet – and, at the same time, allowing the public to experience these wrecks through immersive 3D displays in visitor centers and museums.”

The Arizona Memorial Museum Association (AMMA) has provided support for the project and plans to incorporate the footage into its ongoing educational programs. The US Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit ONE (MDSU) will provide logistical and dive support, while Ocean Technology Systems (OTS) provides the underwater communication resources for the project.

Here are some additional details on the principal partners in this effort:

USS Arizona Memorial at World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument – The USS Arizona Memorial preserves, researches, and interprets the intangible and tangible historic events and resources associated with the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the island of Oahu. The memorial maintains an on-site dive team that actively participates in scientific research, performs internments and assists with interpretive programs (www.nps.gov/usar ). For information on the dive program, contact Christine Carr at 808-422-2772 x116; the park’s media contact is Eileen Martinez, 808-422-2772 x 124

NPS Submerged Resources Center - The Submerged Resources Center provides direct support to NPS superintendents and partners responsible for stewardship of submerged resources, and it enhances and facilitates public appreciation, access, understanding, and preservation of those resources (www.nps.gov/submerged).  The media contact is Brett Seymour, 505-310-5501.

Arizona Memorial Museum Association - The Arizona Memorial Museum Association (AMMA), a non-profit organization authorized by Congress, supports the interpretation and related visitor service activities of the National Park Service at four sites across the Pacific region – USS Arizona Memorial, War in the Pacific National Historical Park (Guam), American Memorial Park (Saipan), and Kalaupapa National Historic Park (Molokai, Hawaii) (www.arizonamemorial.org ). The media contact is Lisa Ontai, 808-375-9352.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution – The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, independent organization in Falmouth, Massachusetts, that is dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930 on a recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, its primary mission is to understand the oceans and their interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate a basic understanding of the oceans’ role in the changing global environment (www.whoi.edu ). The media contact is William Lange, 508-289-2782.

VideoRay, LLC – With more than 1,200 remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) in service around the world, VideoRay has become a global leader in Micro-ROV technology. Weighting just eight pounds, the VideoRay is as an extremely versatile, portable, affordable, and reliable solution for underwater operations (www.videoray.com ). The media contact is Brian Luzzi, 610-458-3015.

US Navy Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit ONE – The Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit ONE (MDSU) is designed to rapidly deploy combat-ready, expeditionary warfare, specialized dive teams to conduct harbor and waterway clearance, emergent underwater repairs, and salvage operations in all environments (www.mdsu1.navy.mil ). The commanding officer can be reached at 808-422-9292.