Underwater robotics

MUMM is contributing towards the development of autonomous marine instrumentation, which could in the future substantially reduce the need for human intervention in situ. Such instrumentation may be either fully autonomous, as with the Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) or partially so, as for the Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) which are linked by an umbilical cable to the ship. These instruments involve the use of artificial intelligence techniques giving the robots algorithms enabling them to evolve in a difficult environment in full knowledge of the facts and to adapt their sampling strategy in real time on the basis of local circumstances. This artificial intelligence is supplied, in particular, by information on currents calculated by the MUMM models.

In addition, the aim is to achieve this technological prowess using relatively inexpensive instruments (costing approximately € 30,000) which should prove particularly competitive compared with current surveillance methods at sea.

This development is now being tested using the MAUVE robot for the bathymetry of Kwinte Bank. This sandbank is the site of intensive sand exploitation, the sustainable nature of which must be checked. This is being done in the context of the European SUMARE project coordinated by MUMM.

The MAUVE robot at the start of a trial at sea.