The Undulating Oceanography Recorder or UOR is a towed system, which is used to measure a variety of environmental data live in the top 200m of water, while the ship is cruising of up to 10kn.
The UOR can take different payloads from standard CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth) sensors through to different light sensors and specialized sensors like a FRRF (Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometer) or OPC (Optical Plankton Recorder). The in water unit (the shuttle) generates its own power, via its propeller, to drive a wing which enables the shuttle to constantly move up and down through the water from the surface down to about 200m. The operator controls the shuttle from the deck unit and sets the parameters such as the climb rate, dive rate and maximum and minimum depth, while viewing the incoming scientific data live.
Since the Undulating Oceanography Recorder is towed at a speed up to 10 kn, it uses a special treated wire which minimises the drag and enables the equipment to reach depths of 200 m. The wire is covered with wing-shaped fairings that reduce the drag dramatically. However, this means that the wire can only be stored in a single layer and so the system requires its own winch, with a special spooling mechanism.