Introducing EMILY
Today, the result of their 2½-year research project can be seen
navigating Michigan rivers with ease, regardless of conditions.
EMILY, the EMergency Integrated Lifesaving LanYard, is the
flagship product of Hydronalix of Green Valley, Arizona.
Resembling a buoy, the relatively small remote-controlled,
unmanned surface vessel (USV) is fast, maneuverable,
and self righting in order to achieve its original mission of
aquatic search and rescue.
MDOT’s application of this technology is new, according to
water when the river is raging, and it gathers useful information
during awful conditions.”
Ayres recommended a sonar-equipped version of EMILY for
MDOT after repeated testing at five Michigan sites confirmed the
battery powered, approximately 4-foot-by-1-foot vessel performs
in turbulent high currents near bridge piers and debris and reads
water depths from 3 to 30 feet. Using SARHawk software, EMILY
transmits real-time scour data to shore where inspectors control
the device from safe ground.
Chad Skrocki, MDOT bridge inspection engineer and research Rapid response
project manager. “To our knowledge, we’re the only ones who In May 2019, MDOT purchased four EMILY USVs, each outfitted
use it for bridge inspection,” Skrocki said. “We throw it in the with single-beam and side-scan sonar in addition to a topside
Rylo 360-degree camera and GoPro video camera for viewing
bridge undersides. MDOT’s EMILYs are stationed at its Bay,
North, University, and Southwest regional offices, strategically
located to enable quick transport to and from bridge sites.
Page 24 photo: EMILY demonstration on Saginaw River at Lafayette
Street Bridge in Bay City, Michigan.
Above photos: As part of the research, testing was performed in
As Haug sees it, speed of response is, by far, the biggest benefit
EMILY brings to MDOT. “With the EMILY, instead of waiting for a
professional survey crew to come through and find out that your
both deep and shallow water.
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