FLIP (FLoating Instrument Platform) , United States of America
| General Attributes |
DOI| 10.34946/D6WK5M | |
| Project Name | FLIP (FLoating Instrument Platform) |
| Country | United States of America |
| Status | Upcoming |
| Citation |
| Scott McAvoy, Doug Daniels, Deborah Forster, Rachel Mayeri, Jon Paden, Lisa Cartwright, Joe Riley, Jess Ashook, Braz Perez, Yuzi Chu, University of California San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Falko Kuester, Cultural Heritage Engineering Initiative (CHEI) : FLIP (FLoating Instrument Platform) - LiDAR - Terrestrial, Photogrammetry - Terrestrial, Short Range Scan. Distributed by Open Heritage 3D. https://doi.org/10.34946/D6WK5M |
| Download |
| Spatial Data | Coming Soon |
| Data Type |
Size |
Device Name |
Device Type |
| LiDAR - Terrestrial | Not available | Leica BLK360 | Time of Flight Scanner |
| Photogrammetry - Terrestrial | Not available | Sony a7R II | Mirrorless |
| Short Range Scan | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Background |
| Site Description | The FLIP (FLoating Instrument Platform) was a unique oceanographic research vessel developed jointly by Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research in 1962. Unlike conventional ships, FLIP was designed to operate in a vertical position, making it an extraordinarily stable platform for collecting ocean data.
The 355-foot vessel would be towed horizontally to a research site, then ballasted to "flip" 90 degrees, leaving only 55 feet above water while the remaining 300 feet extended below the surface. This vertical orientation provided exceptional stability even in rough seas, as the deep hull remained largely unaffected by surface wave action.
FLIP carried no engines or propulsion system in its operational mode, relying on support vessels for positioning. Its stability made it ideal for sensitive acoustic, oceanographic, and meteorological measurements that would be impossible on conventional ships affected by wave motion. Scientists could conduct research on air-sea interactions, wave dynamics, underwater acoustics, and marine mammal studies.
The platform served the research community for over 50 years until its retirement in 2023. FLIP represented an innovative solution to the challenge of maintaining a stable research platform in the dynamic ocean environment, contributing invaluable data to oceanographic science throughout its operational lifetime. | |
| Project Description | Two campaigns, using photogrammetry with various cameras, terrestrial LiDAR, and select features with high resolution structured light scanning.
Top deck and habitable interiors were scanned, but tank interiors and underside are not included. | |
| External Project Link | View exhibit |
| Video Preview | Video Link |
| Collection Date | 2021-08-12 to 2022-01-14 |
| Publication Date | 2026-01-13 |
| License Type | CC BY-NC |
| Model Information |
| Reuse Score | B - High-Quality Model without Georeferencing |
| Curator Notes | Many different datasets coming together, multiple camera models, multiple terrestrial LiDAR scanners, short range scanning. -Scott McAvoy OH3D |
| Entities |
| Contributors | Scott McAvoy, Doug Daniels, Deborah Forster, Rachel Mayeri, Jon Paden, Lisa Cartwright, Joe Riley, Jess Ashook, Braz Perez, Yuzi Chu, University of California San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Falko Kuester, Cultural Heritage Engineering Initiative (CHEI) |
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