2016 ANNUAL REVIEW Ministry of Science and Technology

c. Development of a small ROV TORI began developing a small remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) in 2015. The ROV's chief functions include real-time monitoring of water temperature, salinity, depth, turbidity, pressure, and flow velocity, and it allows observation of aquatic organisms and the marine environment through image analysis. The ROV can be equipped with a carrying platform used to sample deep sea water, which facilitates real-time analysis of undersea information. Current able to descend to a maximum depth of 200 m, the ROV relies on a coaxial cable to transmit signals and receive power. Thanks to its control module and four propulsion devices, which were developed in Taiwan, the ROV is self-stabilizing, and can explore at a constant depth. In the future, the addition of a virtual reality system will enable users to vividly experience the undersea world. d. Lidar wind field measurement and application to offshore wind power applications TORI has app l i ed L i da r wi nd p r o f i l e r measurement and data analysis techniques developed in-house to the development of offshore wind power. The "marine weather observation tower integrated monitoring data application and environmental data value-added cross-analysis project" conducted by TORI under the "National Energy Program—Offshore wind power industrial/ academic collaboration project" has performed wind field measurements in the Hanbau intertidal zone of the Fuhai wind field, Fangyuan, Changhua County. The resulting data was used to verify weather research and forecasting models and computational fluid dynamics numerical modeling results, and was compared with measurements from marine anemometer towers to confirm the accuracy of marine data. TORI has completed observations during the northeast and southwest monsoons, and has analyzed wind speed profile and the characteristics of atmospheric turbulence, which has verified theoretical models and provided a reference for assessment of wind energy and determination of wind turbines specifications. e. Small drifting buoy applications The correction of the antenna patterns of the Taiwan Ocean Radar Observing System (TOROS), which has been conducted at 20 stations each year, is an important task needed to maintain this system's ocean current measurement precision. The measurement line (a curved line) used in antenna pattern measurements in accordance with standard operating requirements can affect the correctness of correction. As a consequence, in order to enhance ship operators' navigation accuracy, a radar research team has used a basic architecture consisting of a global positioning system with an embedded microcontroller and very high frequency signals, along with a user interface developed in house, as an antenna pattern correction tool. This framework can be developed into various maritime observation applications, and offers the advantage of enabling low-cost, long- distance transmissions. f. Establishment of the Marine Environmental Databank The Ma r i ne Env i r onmen t a l Da t abank collects, stores, processes, and manages data produced by observation platforms operated by TORI and ROVs and scientific research projects implemented by research vessels. This database serves as a data integration platform providing shipboard measurement data, inshore and far sea observation data, satellite remote sensing data, numerical modeling forecasts, and marine rock core data, and provides value-added application services. The Marine Environmental Databank website (http://med.tori.NARLabs.org.tw ) has been revised in order to increase the effectiveness of data presentation, and now features updated design elements and a user-friendly interface providing near real-time marine observation data. g. Cooperative deployment of undersea seismometers by TORI and Korea's Pusan National University According to the cooperation MOU signed by TORI and the South Korea's Pusan National University in 2016, TORI personnel will deploy "Yardbird" undersea seismometers developed in Taiwan in the waters off the east coast of South Korea, where they will provide seismic data enhancing earthquake positioning accuracy, while also assessing risk of geological hazards. The technology resulting from this project is being publicized internationally. (10) Taiwan Typhoon and Flood Research Institute a. Establishment of experimental watersheds In order to model and record changes Taiwan's local hydrology and topography, the Taiwan Typhoon and Flood Research Institute (TTFRI) has been cooperating with the Institute of Planning and Hydraulic Research, Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs to establish Taiwan's first experimental watersheds. Experimental watersheds have been established MOST Ministry of Science and Technology Ministry of Science and Technology 70 2016 ANNUAL REVIEW