AutoOcean

Abstract:

The ocean plays a pivotal role in the blue economy. However, the increasing intensity of economic activities exerts significant pressure on the marine environment, thereby threatening ocean health. Sustaining ocean health requires advanced observation systems capable of delivering persistent, wide-area monitoring. Autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) provide a promising solution; however, single ASVs face limitations in endurance, communication, and data storage. Multi-ASV systems can overcome these barriers, but coordinating their operations poses significant challenges due to underactuated dynamics, poor manoeuvrability, and the risk of collision in confined or dynamic ocean environments.

This project proposes the development of a distributed intelligent ocean monitoring system using multi-ASVs, with the long-term goal of enabling efficient and adaptive ocean observation. In collaboration with Dr. Michael Benjamin at MIT, the study focuses on creating an onboard distributed decision-making framework for optimal path planning. The system will employ multi-objective optimisation methods to ensure complete coverage of designated areas while avoiding collisions and accounting for the kinematic constraints of ASVs. Three custom-built ASVs at CENTEC and eight Heron ASVs at MIT will be deployed to conduct preliminary experimental tests, validating the proposed approach through evaluation of coverage efficiency and real-time navigation performance.

The project outcomes are expected to provide a cost-effective, scalable, and intelligent solution for sustainable ocean observation, with broader benefits for periodic monitoring and offshore inspection. By advancing distributed autonomy in multi-ASV systems, the project directly contributes to the development of measurement technologies aligned with Earth systems research priorities, particularly in ocean monitoring.

PT PIs:

Haitong Xu, Centre for Marine Technology and Ocean Engineering (CENTEC), Instituto Superior Técnico