The Ocean Voyager II: an AUV designed for coastal oceanography

The Ocean Voyager II is a small long-range AUV designed for coastal oceanography. A system overview and design constraints are given with reference to the specific mission of bottom classification through light reflectance and absorption measurement. This mission requires the AUV to fly above the sea floor at a constant altitude while measuring the albedo of the bottom and the absorption of certain light frequencies by plant life. Important navigation, sensing, power, computation control, and configuration issues are discussed. The OVII has been developed by Florida Atlantic University's Ocean Engineering Dept. in cooperation with the University of South Florida's Marine Science Department to provide more efficient means of sampling the coastal ocean regions. Of great importance is ground-truthing satellite spectrometry. Current measurements of bottom albedos are limited in density and scope. The OVII provides a means of covering large areas of the ocean floor in an efficient manner. This paper provides insights gained from the development effort and describes initial testing of the vehicle. The potential of AUV's in coastal oceanographic missions is discussed in light of the experience gained from the initial testing of the OVII.