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Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) for Ocean Exploration

By Orisys Academy on 20th January 2024

Problem Statement

The exploration and mapping of the ocean floor are challenging tasks due to the vastness and
depth of the oceans. A reliable Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) equipped with sensors
and computer vision is needed to autonomously navigate through the underwater environment,
collect data, and create detailed maps for marine research purposes.

Abstract

This project aims to design and implement an AUV capable of autonomously exploring and
mapping the ocean floor. The AUV will be equipped with sensors such as sonar and cameras for
data collection and computer vision for real-time mapping. The system will be capable of
navigating complex underwater terrains, avoiding obstacles, and efficiently covering large areas.
The project addresses the need for advanced technology in marine research and underwater
exploration.

Outcome

● Fully functional AUV prototype capable of autonomous underwater exploration.
● Integration of sensors and computer vision algorithms for mapping the ocean
floor.
● Comprehensive data collection and mapping capabilities for marine research
applications.

Reference

Oceans exploration and inspection are a great challenge for the industry nowadays. The underwater instrumentation and measurements are improving due to the current technologies, or by development of new ones, to cover the demand of the new industry offshore. The Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), a subcategory of submarine, is used to perform subaquatic tasks. This vehicle provides advantages for underwater works, e.g., safety and reliability inspections, but it also offers limitations for sensors systems, monitoring and communications systems, autonomous operational endurances, propulsion systems or mapping designs, etc. The main scientific contributions of this paper are: a review of the state of art in novel and main instrumentation and measurement systems embedded in AUVs; an illustration of their future uses and development; and a synthesis of the main and current navigation, mapping and sampling technologies, together with different applications.

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    https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9062680/