AUVs:
RESEARCH
WHO IS INTERESTED IN AUVs?
Generally, AUV research falls into one (or more) of three categories:
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Scientific
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Military
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Commercial
(For more details on why AUVs are being used for these research categories, please see AUVS: A HISTORY.)
Thus, AUV research centres are usually one of the following:
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University institutes/labs
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Non-profit institutes
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Government institutes
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Commercial companies
However, there is a considerable amount of overlap between the different research categories and within the research centres. For example, an AUV that is designed for seabed surveying may be used for scientific expeditions (e.g. exploring coral reefs), military missions (e.g. searching for mines), or commercial ventures (e.g. pipeline inspections). Furthermore, AUV users are expressing a growing desire for 'modular' AUVs that are not designed for one specific task but can be modified for a variety of different missions (e.g. the Bluefin SandShark [1]). Clearly, from a commercial perspective, these "one size fits all" AUVs are attractive as they enable mass production and allow for multiple markets to be targeted.
WHERE ARE THEY?
Below, I've summarized major contributors to AUV research since the 1960s. These have been split by continent and then ordered alphabetically (first by country, then by contributor name within the country). Unfortunately, these lists are NOT currently viewable on a mobile device (sorry!).
Note: To avoid "double dipping", I have tried to omit the following instances:
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Commercial companies that manufacture proprietary parts for AUVs developed by others, unless the AUV was conceived through a collaborative effort. For example, the AUV URASHIMA uses a closed-cycle fuel cell system developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the actual AUV was designed by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) [4]. Thus, I have not listed Mitsubishi as the developer.
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Parent companies; instead, I have listed the specific subsidiary responsible for AUV development. There are many instances of this (particularly with large, diverse commercial companies). For example, I have specified the Centre for Maritime Research & Experimentation (CMRE) instead of its parent administration, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) [5]. However, certain subsidiaries and their parent companies have both made significant and separate contributions, and are thus both included. An example is Maridan A/S (located in Denmark) versus its parent company, Atlas Elektronik (located in Germany) [6].
Finally, these lists have clearly been shaped by my personal opinion; there are many more centres of AUV research than are shown here. I have attempted to select them based on their significant contributions to AUV development, and the lists will be continually evolving.
NORTH AMERICA
NAME
TYPE
LOCATION
International Submarine Engineering
Commercial company
Canada
Applied Physics Laboratory - U. Washington
University research lab
United States
Autonomous Undersea Vehicle Applications Center
Private non-profit research institute
United States
Bluefin Robotics
Commercial company
United States
Boeing
Commercial company
United States
Falmouth Scientific
Commercial company
United States
Marine Operations - U. Hawaii
University research lab
United States
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Private non-profit research institute
United States
Office of Naval Research (US Navy)
Government research institute
United States
Riptide Autonomous Solutions
Commercial company
United States
Sea Grant - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University research lab
United States
SeaTech - Florida Atlantic U.
University research lab
United States
Stone Aerospace
Commercial company
United States
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Private non-profit research institute
United States
EUROPE
NAME
TYPE
LOCATION
BAE Systems
Commercial company
England
National Oceanography Centre
Government research institute
England
Subsea 7
Commercial company
England
Maridan A/S*
Commercial company
Denmark
ECA Group
Commercial company
France
L’Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer
Government research institute
France
Fraunhofer IOSB
Government research institute
Germany
Technical University of Berlin
University research institute
Germany
Teledyne Marine
Commercial company
Iceland
Centre for Maritime Research & Experimentation - NATO
Government research institute
Italy
Graal Tech
Commercial company
Italy
Kongsberg Maritime
Commercial company
Norway
Institute for Systems and Robotics - U. Lisboa
University research institute
Portugal
Underwater Systems and Technology Laboratory - Porto U.
University research lab
Portugal
Underwater Vision and Robotics Lab - U. Girona
University research lab
Spain
Saab Group (Naval)
Commercial company
Sweden
*subsidiary of Atlas Elektronik
ASIA
NAME
TYPE
LOCATION
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Government research institute
China
Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute*
Non-profit research institute
India
National Institute of Oceanography*
Non-profit research institute
India
Institute of Industrial Science - U. Tokyo
University research institute
Japan
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
Government research institute
Japan
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering
Commercial company
Korea
Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology
Government research institute
Korea
*administered by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), an independent body established by the Indian government.
WHAT ARE THEY RESEARCHING?
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
REFERENCES
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Bluefin Robotics. (n.d.). "Bluefin SandShark". Retrieved from http://www.bluefinrobotics.com/vehicles-batteries-and-services/bluefin-sandshark/
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Vicorob (Underwater Robotics Research Centre (CIRS), University of Girona). (2014). "Sparus II AUV". Retrieved from http://cirs.udg.edu/auvs-technology/auvs/sparus-ii-auv/
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Kongsberg. (n.d.). "Hydroid". Retrieved from https://www.km.kongsberg.com/hydroid
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Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). (n.d.). "Deep Sea Cruising AUV URASHIMA". Retrieved from http://www.jamstec.go.jp/e/about/equipment/ships/urashima.html
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North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). (2017). "Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE)". Retrieved from http://www.cmre.nato.int/about-cmre/history-and-vision
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ATLAS ELEKTRONIK. (n.d.). "ATLAS MARIDAN: A company of the ATLAS ELEKTRONIK Group". Retrieved from https://www.maridan.atlas-elektronik.com/companyinfo/
Last revised: April 20, 2020