Marine Robots’ Onboard Intelligence for Capturing Oceanographic Features OverviewTeamProjectsPublicationsLatest News MBARI is developing onboard intelligence for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) to recognize and react to oceanic features of interest by using onboard sensors, water sample acquisition and analysis systems, as well as input from remote sensing and collaborating robots.In the vast ocean, many ecologically important processes occur episodically in time and are localized in space. We therefore need to develop methods to direct limited and precious resources to the most relevant and informative locations to reliably and repeatedly achieve observation and sampling at the appropriate place and time. Traditional ship-based methods for detecting and sampling dynamic ocean features, such as fronts, are often laborious and very difficult, and long-term tracking of such features is practically impossible.In this research, we design onboard intelligence for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) to recognize oceanic features of interest and accordingly adapt behavior to optimally characterize the feature by using onboard sensors, water sample acquisition and analysis systems, as well as input from remote sensing and collaborating robots.These intelligent robots enable targeted sampling—quickly detecting particular ocean features and intensively sampling them as dictated by the science question at hand. A targeted sampling capability allows researchers to direct a limited number of marine assets to find features of interest and collect desired measurements/samples absent a human presence, thus significantly enhancing accuracy and efficiency of ocean studies. We seek to maximize targeted sampling gain by emphasizing collaboration between robots.Current ProjectsTargeted Sampling by Systems of Autonomous Vehicles Team Directory Yanwu Zhang Senior Research Engineer Principal Investigator Brett Hobson Senior Mechanical Engineer Brian Kieft Senior Software Engineer Tom O’Reilly Senior Software Engineer John Ryan Senior Research Specialist Bill Ussler Senior Research Specialist/Chemical Safety Officer Christopher Wahl LRAUV Lead Operations Engineer Carlos A. Rueda Senior Software Engineer Related Projects All Projects Long-range AUV (LRAUV) Project Long-range AUV (LRAUV) The Engineering Team is refining the LRAUV system and developing new capabilities to expand the breadth of ocean science applications that scientists can address with this new ocean robot. Controlled, Agile, and Novel Observing Network (CANON) Project Controlled, Agile, and Novel Observing Network (CANON) MBARI’s Controlled, Agile, and Novel Observing Network (CANON) Initiative is an interdisciplinary effort that utilizes smart, autonomous devices designed to cooperate with each other to collect oceanographic information. Autonomous Sensing Technologies for Ecosystem Predictions/Perturbation in UPwelling systems (ASTEPUP) Project Autonomous Sensing Technologies for Ecosystem Predictions/Perturbation in UPwelling systems (ASTEPUP) A fleet of Long-Range Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (LRAUVs) combined with a docking/charging system reduces the need for crewed vessel support and human-in-the-loop operation. Sampling and Identifying Marine Zooplankton Project Sampling and Identifying Marine Zooplankton Sampling and identifying marine zooplankton (SIMZ) is a project aimed at advancing our understanding of plankton ecology. SIMZ uses autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to collect samples of zooplankton and molecular genetic techniques to assess their diversity and abundance. Publications All Publications Zhang, Y., B. Kieft, B. W. Hobson, Q. Shemet, C. M. Preston, C. Wahl, K. J. Pitz, K. J. Benoit-Bird, J. M. Birch, F. P. Chavez, and C. A. Scholin. 2024. Coordinated and collaborative sampling by two long-range autonomous underwater vehicles. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 49(4):1371-1382. https://doi.org/10.1109/JOE.2024.3408889 Ussler, W., G. J. Doucette, C. M. Preston, C. Weinstock, N. Allaf, B. Roman, S. Jensen, K. Yamahara, L. A. Lingerfelt, C. M. Mikulski, B. W. Hobson, B. Kieft, Y. Raanan, Y. Zhang, R. M. Errera, S. A. Ruberg, P. A. Den Uyl, K. D. Goodwin, S. D. Soelberg, C.E. Furlong, J. M. Birch, and C.A. Scholin. 2024. Underway measurement of cyanobacterial microcystins using a surface plasmon resonance sensor on an autonomous underwater vehicle. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 22(9): 681-699. https://doi.org/10.1002/lom3.10627 Zhang, Y., B. Kieft, B. W. Hobson, Y. Raanan, W. Ussler, C. M. Preston, R. M. Errera, P. A. Den Uyl, A. V. Woude, G. J. Doucette, S. A. Ruberg, K. D. Goodwin, J. M. Birch, and C.A. Scholin. 2024. Using a long-range autonomous underwater vehicle to find and sample harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 22(7): 473-483. https://doi.org/10.1002/lom3.10621 Truelove, N.K., N.V. Patin, M. Min, K.J. Pitz, C.M. Preston, K.M. Yamahara, Y. Zhang, B. Y. Raanan, B. Kieft, B. Hobson, L.R. Thompson, K.D. Goodwin, and F.P. Chavez. 2022. Expanding the temporal and spatial scales of environmental DNA research with autonomous sampling. Environmental DNA, 4(4): 972–984. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.299 Zhang, Y., B. Kieft, B.W. Hobson, B.Y. Raanan, S. Urmy, K.J. Pitz, C.M. Preston, B. Roman, K.J. Benoit-Bird, J.M. Birch, F.P. Chavez, and C.A. Scholin. 2021. Persistent sampling of vertically migrating biological layers by an autonomous underwater vehicle within the beam of a seabed-mounted echosounder. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 46: 497–508. https://doi.org/10.1109/JOE.2020.2982811 Latest News All News News Taking the lab into the ocean: A coordinated fleet of robots successfully tracks and monitors microbial communities News 01.13.21 Technologies All Technologies Sorry, no results were found. Data All Data Sorry, no results were found.
Long-range AUV (LRAUV) Project Long-range AUV (LRAUV) The Engineering Team is refining the LRAUV system and developing new capabilities to expand the breadth of ocean science applications that scientists can address with this new ocean robot.
Controlled, Agile, and Novel Observing Network (CANON) Project Controlled, Agile, and Novel Observing Network (CANON) MBARI’s Controlled, Agile, and Novel Observing Network (CANON) Initiative is an interdisciplinary effort that utilizes smart, autonomous devices designed to cooperate with each other to collect oceanographic information.
Autonomous Sensing Technologies for Ecosystem Predictions/Perturbation in UPwelling systems (ASTEPUP) Project Autonomous Sensing Technologies for Ecosystem Predictions/Perturbation in UPwelling systems (ASTEPUP) A fleet of Long-Range Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (LRAUVs) combined with a docking/charging system reduces the need for crewed vessel support and human-in-the-loop operation.
Sampling and Identifying Marine Zooplankton Project Sampling and Identifying Marine Zooplankton Sampling and identifying marine zooplankton (SIMZ) is a project aimed at advancing our understanding of plankton ecology. SIMZ uses autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to collect samples of zooplankton and molecular genetic techniques to assess their diversity and abundance.
Zhang, Y., B. Kieft, B. W. Hobson, Q. Shemet, C. M. Preston, C. Wahl, K. J. Pitz, K. J. Benoit-Bird, J. M. Birch, F. P. Chavez, and C. A. Scholin. 2024. Coordinated and collaborative sampling by two long-range autonomous underwater vehicles. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 49(4):1371-1382. https://doi.org/10.1109/JOE.2024.3408889
Ussler, W., G. J. Doucette, C. M. Preston, C. Weinstock, N. Allaf, B. Roman, S. Jensen, K. Yamahara, L. A. Lingerfelt, C. M. Mikulski, B. W. Hobson, B. Kieft, Y. Raanan, Y. Zhang, R. M. Errera, S. A. Ruberg, P. A. Den Uyl, K. D. Goodwin, S. D. Soelberg, C.E. Furlong, J. M. Birch, and C.A. Scholin. 2024. Underway measurement of cyanobacterial microcystins using a surface plasmon resonance sensor on an autonomous underwater vehicle. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 22(9): 681-699. https://doi.org/10.1002/lom3.10627
Zhang, Y., B. Kieft, B. W. Hobson, Y. Raanan, W. Ussler, C. M. Preston, R. M. Errera, P. A. Den Uyl, A. V. Woude, G. J. Doucette, S. A. Ruberg, K. D. Goodwin, J. M. Birch, and C.A. Scholin. 2024. Using a long-range autonomous underwater vehicle to find and sample harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 22(7): 473-483. https://doi.org/10.1002/lom3.10621
Truelove, N.K., N.V. Patin, M. Min, K.J. Pitz, C.M. Preston, K.M. Yamahara, Y. Zhang, B. Y. Raanan, B. Kieft, B. Hobson, L.R. Thompson, K.D. Goodwin, and F.P. Chavez. 2022. Expanding the temporal and spatial scales of environmental DNA research with autonomous sampling. Environmental DNA, 4(4): 972–984. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.299
Zhang, Y., B. Kieft, B.W. Hobson, B.Y. Raanan, S. Urmy, K.J. Pitz, C.M. Preston, B. Roman, K.J. Benoit-Bird, J.M. Birch, F.P. Chavez, and C.A. Scholin. 2021. Persistent sampling of vertically migrating biological layers by an autonomous underwater vehicle within the beam of a seabed-mounted echosounder. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 46: 497–508. https://doi.org/10.1109/JOE.2020.2982811
News Taking the lab into the ocean: A coordinated fleet of robots successfully tracks and monitors microbial communities News 01.13.21