A Maneuverable Underwater Vehicle for Near-Seabed Observation: NS-MUV Disturbance Test Part 2 of 4

Original video: https://youtu.be/fDrT12Qm1SQ

Underwater robots can collect comprehensive information on species and habitats when conducting seabed operations, enhancing localized insights and expanding underwater ecological understanding. One approach uses autonomous underwater vehicles, but proximity operations may disturb sediments and compromise observation quality. Another approach uses wheeled or legged benthic robots, but unavoidable contact limits their application in delicate ecosystems like coral reefs. To address these challenges, we propose a maneuverable underwater vehicle for near-seabed observations. This vehicle moves with minimal turbulence and shows strong resistance to external disturbances, enabling high-quality seabed observation as close as 20 cm. It rapidly detects intense disturbances like turbulence and wall effects, allowing real-time path planning to prevent bottoming. Multiple tests in various marine environments, including sandy areas, coral reefs, and sheer rock, show low sediment disturbance and improved adaptability to rugged underwater terrain.

This video (Part 2 of our NS-MUV series) demonstrates how this underwater vehicle minimises disturbance to the seabed. We observe the movement of plastic spheres placed on a platform as the NS-MUV operates. The test shows that the NS-MUV's propeller wake has a minimal impact on the seabed compared to other underwater vehicles. While a slight wobble of a bottom ball is observed due to fluid viscosity, it is significantly less than the disturbance caused by the direct propeller wake of other designs. This highlights the NS-MUV's ability to reduce environmental impact during near-seabed observation.

Watch Part 1: https://youtu.be/adjkmXAoWXE

Watch Part 3:

Watch Part 4:

Keywords: Near-Seabed Underwater Vehicle, NS-MUV, Disturbance Test, Seabed Impact, Propeller Wake, Fluid Viscosity, Underwater Vehicles, Environmental Impact, Near-Seabed Observation, Robot Stability.

Citation:

Liu, K., Ding, M., Pan, B. et al. A maneuverable underwater vehicle for near-seabed observation. Nat Commun 15, 10284 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54600-8

Published on: 27 November 2024

Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 - Creative Commons