Coordinated Robotic Exploration of Dynamic Open Ocean Phenomena

Abstract

The study of dynamic features of the ocean, in which complex physical, chemical, and biological interactions evolve on multiple time scales, poses significant sampling challenges because the required spatial and temporal resolutions are not possible by ship or satellite studies alone. Satellite remote sensing captures only surface effects while expensive research vessels can only make discrete observations in finite periods of time. Our work with networked marine robotics in the aerial, surface, and underwater domains is at the vanguard of a new approach to scientific exploration and observation, which brings together several technologies to enable oceanographic vessels and robots to work in tandem, thus expanding the observational footprint of these vessels. We describe a scientific cruise in the Spring of 2018 in the open waters of the Pacific where we deployed a fleet of autonomous robots to demonstrate this approach for the synoptic observation of mesoscale and sub-mesoscale features of a frontal zone. We articulate the elements and methods to multi-vehicle coordination and challenges that lie ahead in ocean observation.

Developing a Reconfigurable Architecture for the Remote Operation of Marine Autonomous Systems

“…There have been a few experiments following the approach we got in mind, both done from the R.V. Falkor; a deployment of MAS in the Pacific [10], combining multiple MAS platforms doing sampling guided by a model, and one in the Baltic Sea [11], with a DiTTO on the ship been fed information from platforms around and again leading the observational campaign. We aspire to make C2 the layer connecting DiTTOs with the observing system, allowing them to reconfigure it automatically.…”

Empirical evaluation of short-range wifi vessel-to-shore overwater communications

“…Autonomous Underwater/Surface Vehicles (AUVs/ASVs) are key elements for characterizing and modeling the oceans [16] (e.g. seafloor mapping [9]), understanding natural phenomena (e.g.…”