CoMPAS Lab OverviewTeamProjectsPublicationsTechnologiesData Control, Modeling, and Perception of Autonomous Systems (CoMPAS) Laboratory seeks to build scalable marine robotics foundations — from creating the basic tools to enabling the main research lines for future developments. We aim to enable exploration without previous knowledge of the environment (such as seafloor maps) in complex terrain with multiple platforms. Based on addressing the fundamental technology challenges will allow getting closer to achieve persistence presence, ocean visualization, adaptive targeted sampling, environmental change detection, and repeated monitoring of the ocean, from benthic to midwater.The major efforts expected over the next three years in marine robotics include:Scalable Navigation: Enabling Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) approach for known and unknown environments based on visual and acoustic information.Scalable Control: Enabling advanced control in complex environments.Scalable Platforms: Enabling multi-vehicle solutions with homogeneous/heterogeneous platforms.Those are key elements for the autonomy of marine robotics platforms to enable multi-vehicle operations. Team Directory CoMPAS Lab is directed by Giancarlo Troni, Assistant Professor at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Giancarlo Troni Principal Engineer Principal Investigator Eric Martin Senior Electrical Engineer Project Manager Sebastián Rodríguez Research Engineer Michael Anderson Research Engineer Kevin Barnard Software Engineer François Cazenave Mechanical Engineer Javiera Fuentes Guíñez Graduate Fellow Kent Headley Embedded Systems Group Lead Akshay Hinduja Software Engineer, Embedded Algorithms Data Paul Roberts Senior Electrical Engineer Carlos A. Rueda Senior Software Engineer George Stern Electrical Engineer Vicente Andrés Sufán Osorio Graduate Fellow Johann Voigtlander ROV Pilot/Engineer Projects All Projects Low Altitude Survey System Project Low Altitude Survey System Bringing mapping systems closer to the seafloor to achieve precision-controlled centimeter-scale bathymetry and millimeter-scale imagery. Publications All Publications Supplemental resourcesMagnetometer and Gyroscope Calibration Rodríguez-Martínez, S., and G. Troni. 2025. Full Magnetometer and Gyroscope Bias Estimation using Angular Rates: Theory and Experimental Evaluation of a Factor Graph-Based Approach. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1109/JOE.2024.3523701. Learn more. Caress, D.W., E. Martin, M. Risi, G. Troni, A. Hamilton, C. Kecy, J. Paduan, H. Thomas, S. Rock, M. Wolfson-Schwehr, R. Henthorn, B. Hobson, and L. Bird. 2025. The MBARI Low Altitude Survey System for 1-cm-Scale Seafloor Surveys in the Deep Ocean. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1109/JOE.2024.3521256 Rodríguez-Martínez, S., and G. Troni. 2024. Towards a Factor Graph-Based Method using Angular Rates for Full Magnetometer Calibration and Gyroscope Bias Estimation, In IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 2024, 1199–1205. https://doi.org/10.1109/IROS58592.2024.10801438. Xie, Y., G. Troni, N. Bore, and J. Folkesson. 2024. Bathymetric surveying with imaging sonar using neural volume rendering. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 9(9): 8146–8153. https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2024.3440843 Muñoz, B. and G. Troni. 2024. Learning the Ego-Motion of an Underwater Imaging Sonar: A Comparative Experimental Evaluation of Novel CNN and RCNN Approaches. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 9(3): 2072-2079. doi: 10.1109/LRA.2024.3352357 Latest News All News News MBARI’s newest underwater robot seeks to make ocean exploration more accessible News 02.12.25 News MBARI shares latest tech innovations for visualizing ocean life and ecosystems at Marine Imaging Workshop Behind the Scenes 10.10.24 Technologies All Technologies Vehicle, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) MOLA AUV Technology MOLA AUV The MOLA AUV—multimodality, observing, low-cost, agile autonomous underwater vehicle—has advanced sensors and software to survey and monitor marine ecosystems. Vehicle, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) ROV Ventana Technology ROV Ventana A remotely operated vehicle equipped with a Sea-Bird 19plus V2 CTD package including a dissolved oxygen sensor, transmissometer, and spatial lasers mounted on the main camera. Vehicle, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Dorado Class Seafloor Mapping AUV Technology Seafloor Mapping AUV The Dorado class autonomous underwater vehicles are optimized for meter-scale seafloor mapping. Vehicle, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) MiniROV Technology MiniROV The MiniROV is used to conduct shallow water transects and make in situ observations. Vehicle, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) ROV Doc Ricketts Technology ROV Doc Ricketts An integrated unmanned submersible research platform with features providing efficient, reliable, and precise sampling and data collection. Data All Data Data Seafloor Mapping Database The Seafloor Mapping Database (SMDB) provides access to MBARI's entire mapping data archive
Low Altitude Survey System Project Low Altitude Survey System Bringing mapping systems closer to the seafloor to achieve precision-controlled centimeter-scale bathymetry and millimeter-scale imagery.
Rodríguez-Martínez, S., and G. Troni. 2025. Full Magnetometer and Gyroscope Bias Estimation using Angular Rates: Theory and Experimental Evaluation of a Factor Graph-Based Approach. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1109/JOE.2024.3523701. Learn more.
Caress, D.W., E. Martin, M. Risi, G. Troni, A. Hamilton, C. Kecy, J. Paduan, H. Thomas, S. Rock, M. Wolfson-Schwehr, R. Henthorn, B. Hobson, and L. Bird. 2025. The MBARI Low Altitude Survey System for 1-cm-Scale Seafloor Surveys in the Deep Ocean. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1109/JOE.2024.3521256
Rodríguez-Martínez, S., and G. Troni. 2024. Towards a Factor Graph-Based Method using Angular Rates for Full Magnetometer Calibration and Gyroscope Bias Estimation, In IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 2024, 1199–1205. https://doi.org/10.1109/IROS58592.2024.10801438.
Xie, Y., G. Troni, N. Bore, and J. Folkesson. 2024. Bathymetric surveying with imaging sonar using neural volume rendering. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 9(9): 8146–8153. https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2024.3440843
Muñoz, B. and G. Troni. 2024. Learning the Ego-Motion of an Underwater Imaging Sonar: A Comparative Experimental Evaluation of Novel CNN and RCNN Approaches. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 9(3): 2072-2079. doi: 10.1109/LRA.2024.3352357
News MBARI shares latest tech innovations for visualizing ocean life and ecosystems at Marine Imaging Workshop Behind the Scenes 10.10.24
Vehicle, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) MOLA AUV Technology MOLA AUV The MOLA AUV—multimodality, observing, low-cost, agile autonomous underwater vehicle—has advanced sensors and software to survey and monitor marine ecosystems.
Vehicle, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) ROV Ventana Technology ROV Ventana A remotely operated vehicle equipped with a Sea-Bird 19plus V2 CTD package including a dissolved oxygen sensor, transmissometer, and spatial lasers mounted on the main camera.
Vehicle, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Dorado Class Seafloor Mapping AUV Technology Seafloor Mapping AUV The Dorado class autonomous underwater vehicles are optimized for meter-scale seafloor mapping.
Vehicle, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) MiniROV Technology MiniROV The MiniROV is used to conduct shallow water transects and make in situ observations.
Vehicle, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) ROV Doc Ricketts Technology ROV Doc Ricketts An integrated unmanned submersible research platform with features providing efficient, reliable, and precise sampling and data collection.
Data Seafloor Mapping Database The Seafloor Mapping Database (SMDB) provides access to MBARI's entire mapping data archive