ACR S-VDR, a yellow black box
It looks and acts like an EPIRB, but is, in fact, a simplified voyage data recorder (S-VDR). “Like black boxes carried on aircraft, S-VDRs enable accident investigators to review procedures and instructions in the moments before an accident to help to identify its cause. The RapidTrack S-VDR is designed to interface with bridge information systems and to record and maintain a retrievable record of the ship’s nautical, technical and safety data. The RapidTrack S-VDR is designed to interface with bridge information systems and to record and maintain a retrievable record of the ship’s nautical, technical and safety data. The S-VDR will automatically deploy once the vessel has sunk to a depth between 1.5 to 4 meters. The beacon then floats to the surface and automatically begins broadcasting GPS coordinates to aid in location and retrieval. There isn’t any info on ACR’s site besides the press release, and the unit isn’t FCC approved yet, but interesting technology, eh? S-VDR is now mandatory on certain commercial ships too.
(Also, head’s up, expanding ACR recently sent out another release seeking job applicants. “We need help in filling several newly created key positions in engineering, sales and technical support”.)
