AUV.FISH
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
Our overarching goal is to make underwater research platforms accessible to a broader end-use community by reducing the cost and level of technical skill required to own, operate, modify, and maintain them.
We first started by using existing, commercially available Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) as prototypes, integrating and testing sensors before working with our Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), which introduce additional challenges:
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Payload capacity: limited space and power to support a “scientifically useful” sensor payload​​
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Operation: pre-programming of missions is required; there is no real-time feedback when the AUVs are underwater!
As with our ROV platforms, it was important that our AUVs remained:
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Flexible: ability to accommodate a multi-sensor payload in a manner that allows for quick and easy sensor swapping in the field
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Configurable: supplied with open-source or non-proprietary architecture, allowing direct sensor integration
Scroll down to learn more about the AUV platforms we've developed.
AUV.FISH-1
With a length of less than 1 m and an outer diameter just over 0.1 m, physically integrating sensors with this small AUV was challenging. In fact, in order to fit two sensors without drastically altering the shape of the AUV nose cone, we ended up permanently mounting a conductivity and temperature (CT) sensor. While this goes against our "flexible sensor payload" design, AUV.FISH-1 was designed for oceanographic measurements - and oceanographers invariably require CT measurements.
The second sensor port, however, accommodates any sensor from the AML Oceanographic OEM line, which makes swapping sensors literally a 'plug and play' experience.
AUV.FISH-4
AUV.FISH-4 is our newest vehicle and is based on the SEABER YUCO-CARRIER. During a rhodamine dye tracer release in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Canada) in 2021, we worked alongside SEABER engineers in a multi-AUV experiment. More information to come!
REFERENCES
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AML Oceanographic. (2021). OEM Applications & Integration. Retrieved from https://amloceanographic.com/oem-applications
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ecoSUB Robotics Ltd. (2022). ecoSUBµ5 - 500 m rated Micro-AUV. Retrieved from https://www.ecosub.uk/ecosubu5---500-m-rated-micro-auv.html
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ecoSUB Robotics Ltd. (2022). ecoSUBm5 - 500 m rated Small-AUV. Retrieved from https://www.ecosub.uk/ecosubm5---500-m-rated-small-auv.html
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SEABER. (n.d.). YUCO-CARRIER. Retrieved from https://seaber.fr/yuco-carrier
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SEABER. (2022). [LinkedIn post]. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/posts/seaber-the-micro-auv-company_marinepollution-oceanscience-oceantechnologies-activity-6848555205735411713-99xt?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
Last revised: February 27, 2023​