Abstract: An amphibious vehicle capable of operation on both land and in water, comprising a cockpit body and floats attached to the cockpit body to keep the vehicle afloat while in the water. The floats comprise either a plurality of pontoons or a hull comprised of a plurality of longitudinally extending mini-hulls. The vehicle has a plurality of retractable wheels mounted to the cockpit body for operating the vehicle on land. The vehicle includes apparatus for retracting and deploying the wheels such that in the retracted position, the wheels are raised above the water line of the vehicle and in the deployed position, at least a portion of each wheel is disposed below the bottom surface of the float means. This way, the vehicle may be operated in the water without the wheels contacting the surface of the water, and also on land without the bottom of the floats contacting the land.

Abstract: First and second tabs are affixed to the surface of a body in close proximity with each other and in partially side by side relation. First and second optical fibers are affixed to the first and second tabs, respectively, and are movable therewith. The optical fibers are positioned transverse to the tabs and in alignment about a mechanical quiescent point in the absence of strain in the body. A source of light produces and directs light through the first and second optical fibers. A light detector detects light transmitted through the first and second optical fibers and determines the intensity thereof, which is proportional to the magnitude of compression and tension strains in the body.

Abstract: A plug-in interconnection for optical and avioptic cables for connecting those cables into equipment such as circuit boards having fiber optic circuitry running in a plane normal to the axis of the plug-in interconnection. In the interconnection, a male connector having the end of the optical fiber means of the cable projecting from the end thereof is plugged into an on-axis female receptacle. In the receptacle, an aperture normal to its axis receives either the end or light from the end of the optical fiber circuit means in the equipment being interconnected. Reflecting means in the bore of the female receptacle aligned with the axis of optical fiber means in the male plug-in connector, when plugged in, reflects light signals between the optical fiber means in the connector and the circuit means in the equipment. An embodiment in which the light signal reflecting means is in the male connector is also disclosed.