Show HN: I reverse-engineered the RLF log format used by REMUS underwater drones
A developer reverse-engineered the proprietary RLF (Raw Log Format) used by REMUS underwater drones and released an open-source reader. The project allows parsing and extracting data from the log files generated by these autonomous underwater vehicles.
Background
- The REMUS (Remote Environmental Monitoring Units) is a family of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) developed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and later manufactured by Hydroid (now part of HII). They are used by navies, researchers, and offshore industries for mapping, mine detection, and oceanographic surveys.
- "RLF" refers to the REMUS Log Format — a proprietary binary file format used by these drones to store sensor data, navigation logs, and mission telemetry. Until now, its structure was not publicly documented.
- This GitHub repository contains a reverse-engineered Python library ("remus-rlf-reader") that can parse and extract data from RLF files, making REMUS mission logs readable outside the vendor's proprietary software.
- The significance: underwater drone data is often locked in closed formats. Opening up RLF allows researchers, operators, and forensic analysts to work with the data using open tools, without needing expensive proprietary software or vendor support.