What is an AUV? What are the different types of underwater robotic vehicles?
Underwater vehicles are central to deep ocean exploration. There are three basic types of underwater vehicles – manned submersibles, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and towed vehicles, and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Manned submersibles, such as the Deep Submergence Vehicle Alvin), are free swimming and typically accommodate a pilot and observers in the submersible. ROVs on the other hand, such as the Jason II, are connected to the ship by an umbilical that supplies power to the vehicle and can pipe data back to the ship. These are operated remotely by pilots stationed onboard the ship. In contrast, AUVs are untethered with no human in the loop. Different types of vehicles are utilized not in competition, but to complement each other. Each vehicle serves its own niche. AUVs in particular are designed to perform surveys that are often considered tedious by human operators. We will be use the Seabed AUV on this expedition to survey hydrothermal vents within the Columbo volca
