T3.3.2 AUV-ASV Cooperation

Lead: IFREMER, IQUA, UdG

M6-M42. The use of deep-sea scientific AUVs is in many cases bound to the requirement of precise acoustic positioning, in order to provide high quality scientific data and to monitor the safe mission execution of the asset. Use of autonomous surface vehicles ASV for monitoring AUV is a growing alternative to time-consuming monitoring directly from the deploying research vessel. For oceanographic scenarios, it is of utmost interest to operate a monitoring solution that is cost-effective in terms of CAPEX (ASV investment) and OPEX (operating complexity, maintenance) and that does not increase operating crews.
Different scenarios will be evaluated: 1) Shallow Water: IQUA Robotics and UdG will collaborate to demonstrate a twin system using of a low-cost ASV in cooperation with a low cost 200 m. rated AUV; and 2) Deep water: IFREMER will use of a commercial low-cost ASV, for example the WavegliderTM powered by renewable energy for the acoustic positioning and communication with a deep-sea AUV (3000m depth).