One of the many challenges in deep-sea research is establishing the exact horizontal position of an instrument on the seabed. This is a very important factor for instruments including samplers and sediment traps, where any uncertainty can lead to inaccurate data collection and subsequent misinterpretation.

KUMOs deep-sea inclinometer Matemo is designed to address this issue. Prior to operation, Matemo can be attached to equipment while onshore to determine the tilt angle of the system on a known surface; this value can then be automatically deducted from final measurements taken during the operation, thus restoring the norm.

Matemo is designed to record tilt angle in two directions (X and Y) – which are programmed by its software – MATUI (Multi-Axis Tiltmeter User Interface). MATUI allows the user to configure measurement interval, actual time or start time delay of the measurement. Once the investigation is concluded, data can be downloaded and displayed in a graph or exported for external analysis. The data, as well as the settings, are saved in non-volatile memory and will remain safe regardless of the battery being depleted or replaced.