Underneath the Antarctic ice, mapping the seabed of the Atlantic Ocean, or in the water for weeks: recent successes for the AUVs of the National Oceanography Centre
The Marine Autonomous and Robotic Systems group of the National Oceanography Centre develops, operates, and maintains one of the largest AUV fleets in the world. With more than 25 years of successful deployments in the harshest conditions and in the most remote regions of the planet, these vehicles continue to constitute an invaluable asset to the UK and global marine science communities, the data they gather used by scientists to understand processes such as global climate change or the evolution of our oceans. This talk will showcase the capabilities of MARS AUVs and their recent achievements, including the missions underneath the Antarctic ice shelves of Autosub Long Range (where the vehicle traveled a total of more than 190 km under ice, with 86 km in a single mission), the multi-week deployments at sea, piloted over the horizon with no ship intervention, and the 4000 m dives of Autosub5 in the Atlantic Ocean, carrying a multitude of optical and acoustic payload sensors to collect precious science data. Additionally, the talk will give an overview of the current state of development and the upcoming challenges in store for NOC AUVs.