Bangkok--4 Jun--Asian Institute of Technology
From self-driving cars to self-driving underwater robots was the journey traversed at a lecture on underwater robotics delivered by Dr. Song K Choi, Assistant Dean, College of Engineering, University of Hawai'i at M?noa at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) on 2 June 2014.
Elaborating on the Semi-Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Intervention Missions (SAUVIM) developed by the University of Hawai’i, Dr. Choi stated that this underwater vehicle was capable of autonomous interventions on subsea installations. The 4-meter long vehicle was a little bigger than a Sports Utility Vehicle, but it had the ability to reach up to 6000 meters under water. “Though the deepest part of the ocean is 12 kilometers, this vehicle is able to explore up to 80 per cent of the depth of the ocean,” Dr. Choi said.
Myriad applications of SAUVIM include military uses like mine detection, archeological survey, offshore oil exploration, studying migration patterns of fish, scientific observation and sample gathering, and undersea cultivation of rare vegetation.
The robot performs underwater operations on its own, and it is able to return to its departure station courtesy of its integrated navigation technology. While the vehicle enjoys six degrees of freedom, the vehicle includes a 80-kilogram robotic arm, that has its own seven degrees of freedom. The remarkable aspect about SAUVIM is that all phases are executed without human intervention, despite very little a-prior knowledge, Dr. Choi added.
Photo caption: Dr. Song K. Choi