The Crab: A Unique Nearshore Surveying Vehicle

Abstract

A recent innovation for improved nearshore surveying and coastal engineering data collection is the Coastal Research Amphibious Buggy (CRAB). This 35‐ft (10.6‐m) high motorized tripod, when combined with a state‐of‐theart electronic total station, allows rapid, accurate surveying of the surf zone and nearshore waters out to depths of 30 ft (9 m). When compared to conventional methods, survey costs are reduced by an order of magnitude, and accuracy is vastly improved. Numerous other research applications have been achieved.