Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) have matured to become viable tools for the commercial market. Many of the technologies making up these complex systems are now robust, but new technologies continue to evolve. This presentation will cover three key technologies that will impact commercial underwater operations in the near- and long-term. First, MOOS autonomy middleware has emerged as open-source software enabling rapid behavior creation in autonomous vehicles. We will highlight critical accomplishments made by Bluefin Robotics and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) during various sea trials and also explain how MOOS will influence future sub-sea operations by enabling multi-vehicle cooperation and collaboration. Second, the successful integration of a synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) onto an AUV presents new opportunities in data gathering. A highly accurate sensor coupled with precise navigation accuracy and AUV survey efficiency creates a system that produces compelling enhancements that are not readily achievable with traditonal systems. We will uncover these opportunities and challenges and explain what the commercial industry should expect from this readily available technology. Lastly, an autonomous hovering vehicle will allow for inspection tasks previously performed by divers, ROVs or simply left uncompleted. We will discuss what this system is, how it operates, and how it is more efficient and effective than current practices.
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