The UWAI Robotics group has developed a successful autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) which automatically scans mussel farms while collecting mussel samples – to support our current mussel farm industry – and to also enable a future for economically farming thousands of hectares of mussel farms up to 10Km offshore.
Autonomous Underwater Scanner
An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) for surveying
Developed out of the research group UCVision at the University of Canterbury, we have created an autonomous underwater vehicle that can be utilized to remotely inspect underwater structures, enable marine surveys, inspections and use manipulation tools and sensors without human assistance.
Our system can rapidly provide 3D colour scanning, recognition of underwater surfaces, objects or organisms to sub-mm accuracy, using novel AI approaches to automatically ‘scan’ for crop health, condition, biofouling, or conditions of underwater structures.
We have used this AUV for mussel farm surveying to estimating crop size/health, salmon net surveying to scan for holes in nets and wharf pylon surveying for biosecurity inspections.
Our approach is unique in that we have developed an advanced AUV simulator which enables rapid prototyping of novel navigation, inspection patterns and AI-based image recognition. This software-in-the-loop code runs line-for-line in both the simulator and underwater drone. This, together with our extensive experience in AI and developing AUVs, gives us a significant advantage, not only in NZ, but internationally.
Collectively we will have all the necessary capability in sensing, custom tooling integration, marine engineering, AUV design, control systems, 3D vision analysis, AI (especially deep learning expertise), autonomous software, and field deployment to enable rapid prototyping and development of novel applications.
We now have the capability to scan thousands of hectares of mussel farms up to 10Km offshore to enable the economic viability of such future aquaculture farming.