AUV- Sea acceptance test

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Yellow torpedo size instrument is being lifted into a blue, calm sea

AUV sea acceptance test (Photo: NIOZ/Marcel van der Linden)

During this cruise we will carry out the final acceptance test of our new autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). This is a torpedo-shaped, fully programmable instrument that can dive to the sea floor (down to 2 km) to map it in far greater detail than can be done from the ship, which stays of course at the water surface. We sail from and to Genua (Italy) from 20 until 24 July 2026 on the RV Anna Weber-van Bosse.

 

22 June 

Written by Henk de Haas

After building up the AUV out of separate sections while we (the ships crew, colleagues from the NIOZ robotics team and two technicians from the AUV manufacturer) were still in the port of Genua we went out to sea in order to test the equipment. Testing involves looking whether the AUV can be connected to the control computer, can receive its position through GPS, can communicate to the ship via an acoustic under water modem, and of course caries out the programmed tasks all by itself when it is `flying’ under water to for instance use various types of echosounders to make a detailed map of the seabed.

Man on board a reseach vessel are testing yellow torpedo like equipment

Compilation of work during the AUV sea acceptance test (Photo: NIOZ/Marcel van der Linden and Marck Smit)

The film gives an impression of how the AUV is lowered into the water after it is assembled and takes off to perform a mission.