ROV/AUV enhancements and upgrades
Precision control technologies for ROVs
and intervention AUVs
Project Manager: Steve Rock
Lead Scientist: Bruce Robison
Lead Engineer: Rob Mc Ewen
This new three-year effort will build upon and extend previous work in autonomous control for both ROVs and AUVs. Automatic stationkeeping, mosaicking, transect control, and jelly tracking have been demonstrated successfully on numerous Ventana dives. Proposed extended capabilities for both ROV and AUV applications include:
- Real-time benthic mosaicking capabilities to include relief information.
- Complete image registration in multiple benthic swath mosaics, enabling the creation of large field mosaics.
- Tracking of small midwater objects at close camera range (small jellies, bubbles, droplets, etc).
- Making improvements in existing system logic.
- Exploring new uses for midwater tracking tools (such as capture of midwater specimens and servicing instruments tied to vertical cables).
- Exploring the applicability of the new technologies to Dorado-class AUV operations