MANO: An AUV for Engineering and Science Research

1. MANO: An AUV for Engineering and Science Research Alison Proctor

2. Who We Are Ocean Technology Lab (OTL) • Previous OTL Projects: • MACO Hybrid Autonomous Underwater Vehicle. • Undersea Window – High Definition Camera Platform. • Underwater Acoustic Ranging System.

3. Who We Are Ocean Technology Lab (OTL) • Current Projects: • Ocean Technology Test Bed (OTTB) • MANO Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

4. MANO Project Overview • Mission Statement • To acquire a commercially available “off-the-shelf” AUV which can be used by academia and industry to develop and test new AUV products and develop new operational protocols which can expand the use of AUVs for science, security, and industrial purposes. • Source of Funding • Western Economic Diversification Canada • Matching Funds • Canadian Foundation for Innovation • British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund • Ping Digital Signal Processing Ltd.

5. MANO: Vehicle Description • Torpedo style Autonomous Underwater Vehicle • Free flooded hull • Flexible payload configuration and software interface

6. MANO: Payload Package • AML Oceanographic Micro CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth) • Standard data required for most science missions • High speed sampling rates and rapid response times give high resolution data in high speed conditions • Xchange sensors - field swappable sensors • Only need to send the sensor back for recalibration not the entire instrument. • Multiple sensors means no down time • Ability to change the instrument range on the fly • Custom MANO enclosure • Allows the pressure housing to be mounted inside the vehicle with only the sensor heads exposed to the flow.

7. MANO: Payload Package • Rockland Scientific MicroRider • Turbulence sensor for profiling ocean microstructure • Equipped with: • 2 microstructure turbulence shear probes; • 2 microstructure fast thermistors; • 1 High resolution pressure sensor; • 1 Three-axis, high-accuracy accelerometers for measurement instrument attitude and vibration • Effectively being used on gliders already • MANO will provide a platform for examining methods of integrating this instrument into AUVs

8. MANO: Payload Package • JFE Alec Electronics - Rinko Fast Response Oxygen Sensor • Optical DO sensor • Response time <1 second • Small package (15.7cm long x 5.4cm diameter) • Other commercial oxygen sensors have response times of 15-30 seconds. Not appropriate for sensing from an AUV

9. MANO: Payload Package • Wet Labs ECO Puck • Combo Fluorometer-Turbidity Sensor • Measures chlorophyll-a and turbidity. • Very small size (5.0 cm x 6.3 cm diameter)

10. MANO: Payload Package • Ping Digital Signal Processing • Prototype Forward Looking Imaging Sonar System. High resolution imaging for: • mapping, • classification, • object identification, • obstacle avoidance • and in-situ path planning • Prototype Side Scan Sonar System. High resolution side scan imaging for: • Bathymetric mapping, • Cataloging and classification, • and, ultimately, synthetic aperture sonar (SAS).

11. MANO: Payload Package • Camera and Lights • Still looking for the perfect camera • Any suggestions?

12. MANO: Payload Package • Primary Electronics Enclosure • Power electronics • Networking electronics • Data management computer and central storage • Computer for developing experimental guidance and navigation algorithms • Computer for developing experimental analysis software for sonars • GPS • TSR-100 Motion Reference Unit from Think Sensor Research • GPS and MRU are redundant sensors that enable future research.

13. OTTB: Overview • Ocean Technology Test Bed (OTTB) – is an underwater laboratory for developing and testing new underwater sensors and vehicle technology. Recoverable Platform Service Buoy VENUS Node IAS Towers x 5 ~1km ~1km

14. OTTB Network & Surface Segment • Wireless Network • Coverage over entire operating area with 15Mbps bandwidth • Operators in the boat are in continuous communication with the underwater instruments • On-site ROV • Differential GPS Positioning for surface vehicles • +/-2cm accuracy • positions integrated into OTTB tracking system

15. OTTB Application Areas The easy of deployment and remote monitoring system make the OTTB an ideal place for both short and long term research and technology development projects. • Basic Ocean Technology: AUV and ROV control, acoustic tracking and communications. • Oilfield: Monitoring subsea equipment and instrumentation, surveys. • Port Security: object location and identification. • Ocean Science: cabled ocean observatories, sea floor mapping, ocean chemistry and biology. • Military Applications: mine detection, surveillance

16. MANO & OTTB: Big Picture • Combining the MANO and the OTTB • Enable precision tracking inside the OTTB arena which can lead to new types of science missions • OTTB can provide “truth” data for AUV when developing new guidance and navigation technologies. • OTTB can facilitate the calibration and verification of sonar imaging systems. • OTTB is an easily accessible training ground for proving out any new AUV technology

17. Summary • The OTL will be acquiring a new Bluefin-12 AUV in 2010 • Already, we have 5 different “first time” instruments which will be tested and potentially released into the market as commercial AUV products. • Ultimately, MANO will leverage the Ocean Technology Test Bed (OTTB), which is currently under construction, to become a full service AUV test platform

18. The Endhttp://lacir.uvic.ca/ocean