Application potential, error considerations and post-processing software for ADCP deployments on AUVs

The application field of ocean current measurements made from autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is discussed with reference to different system configurations and scientific scenarios. Factors that affect measurement accuracy are addressed. A novel post-processing software package for Earth-referencing, quality checks and smoothing of data from AUV-borne acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) is presented. The system provides interactive visualization features intended to facilitate perception of time-space relationships between ADCP vector data, conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) scalar data and platform/sensor system state variables. The software is named ANCOR (ADCP navigation correction).