Facilities

Underwater Vehicle Lab

The Underwater Vehicle lab operates two advanced underwater vehicles, providing services to members of the Israeli deep sea scientific community from various disciplines such as Marine Biology, Geophysics and Marine Archaeology.

The deep water capable AUV and ROV are advanced tools, unique in the region in their capabilities to perform surveys, sample collection and other work at depths of up to 3000 meters.

The vehicles are operated upon request by researchers, often using the IOLR research vessel and the RV Bat-Galim as the operating platform.

Ben Herzberg

Department Engineer

Ben Herzberg has been the department engineer since 2014. His main responsibilities are operation and maintenance of the department’s deep water

unmanned vehicles, as well as . general oversight of the facility and safety trustee.Ben holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and spent a few years working in the semiconductor industry prior to Joining the University of Haifa.

Samuel Cohen-Salmon

Underwater Vehicle Engineer

Samuel Cohen-Salmon is currently studying Mechanical Engineering. In the vehicle lab he maintains and operates the vehicles as well as adapts them for specific research missions.

He began sailing at the age of five and to this day spends as much time at sea as he can. Apart from work and family Samuel is a company leader as a reservist in the artillery corps, IDF.

Themo Buoy

THEMO (Texas A&M - University of Haifa Eastern Mediterranean Observatory)” is an observatory comprising of two sensor arrays attached to 2.25 m diameter surface buoys.
THEMO includes a shallow mooring (125 m) in the coastal zone of the Levant Basin of the Mediterranean Sea, and a deep mooring (1500 m) located 50 km from the northern shores of Haifa after the continental shelf. The two moorings have real time RF communication capabilities, and the data is received at a shore station.

Visit the official website of the Themo Buoy here.

Saltwater Pool

Our saltwater pool is used to test underwater vehicles and other equipment prior to deployment at sea. A 2.5t crane reaches over the entire area of the pool. There is a tow carriage which bridges over the pool for deploying equipment and for other operations.

Width: 3 m
Length: 9 m
Depth: up to 2.8 m

Pressure Test Chamber

Our test chamber is used to pressure test various equipment designed to be used in deep water research.

Width: 0.4 m
Height: 1.4 m
Rated to 300 bar.

Electronics and Prototyping Lab

The electronics and prototyping lab is used for 3D printing (prototypes and assembly support parts), electronic work (soldering, cabling and prototype testing) and small-scale machining.

Tools: Ultimaker S5 and Ultimaker 2+ 3D printers, soldering iron, power supply, signal generator, drill press, dremel.

3D Printer: Ultimaker S5

Build volume: 330 x 240 x 300 mm
Assembled dimensions: 495 x 585 x 780 mm
Print technology: Fused filament fabrication (FFF)

3D Printer: Ultimaker 2+

Build volume: 223 x 223 x 305 mm
Assembled dimensions: 342 x 493 x 588 mm
Print technology: Fused filament fabrication (FFF)

Machine Shop

The Machine shop is used by the department team to manufacture small parts. We have a small CNC milling machine and a manual lathe.

CNC Milling Machine

Working range: 730 * 230 * 450 mm

Spindle: 3200 rpm

1.5 hp fluid coolant

Conventional Lathe

Working diameter: up to 360 mm
Working length: 1000 mm
Speed range: 35 to 2000rpm

Maximum tool size: 16 x 16 mm standard and custom metric and inches threads

Motor power 2 hp with DRO fluid coolant supports