Subsea Robotics & Autonomous Systems
This section covers remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and hybrid platforms used in commercial subsea operations. Content focuses on operational capabilities, limitations, and failure modes rather than detailed engineering specifications.
Scope
This section addresses:
- ROV vs AUV vs hybrid platforms — Operational differences and use cases
- Vehicle classes and capabilities — Work-class, observation-class, and survey-class systems
- Sensor payloads — Sonar, INS, cameras, environmental sensors
- Power systems & endurance — Tradeoffs between power, endurance, and capability
- Failure modes and recovery — What can go wrong and how systems degrade
- Human-in-the-loop vs autonomous control — Operational frameworks for different control modes
Key Principles
- Operational reality — Capabilities and limitations as they exist in practice, not marketing specifications
- Failure modes — Explicit documentation of what can go wrong and how operations degrade
- Audit-worthiness — Documentation suitable for regulatory review and incident investigation
- Responsibility boundaries — Clear delineation of human vs. system responsibility
Topics
Pages in this section
7
- AUV Platforms OverviewAutonomous underwater vehicle types, capabilities, and operational characteristics
- Control FrameworksControl architectures for ROVs and AUVs: deliberative, reactive, and hybrid approaches
- Failure Modes & RecoveryWhat can go wrong with subsea robotic systems and how operations degrade
- Power Systems & EnduranceBattery systems, power management, and endurance planning for subsea vehicles
- ROV Systems OverviewRemotely operated vehicle systems: operational capabilities, limitations, and failure modes
- Sensor PayloadsSensor systems for subsea vehicles: sonar, cameras, and oceanographic instruments
- Vehicle Classes & CapabilitiesClassification of subsea vehicles by capability, role, and operating depth