Development of a low-cost underwater robot for inference of localization and environmental mapping

We will continue work on an inexpensive device developed for water column monitoring, using technology in development by Kinsol Research. The overall research project currently being undertaken is to create a device that can autonomously descend through a column of water to pre-set depths, gather measurements from various sensors (e.g. temperature and light level) during its descent, and then return to the surface. Future applications for this device include: water monitoring, research into multi-robot underwater problems, and engineering education. The ACCELERATE research project would involve adding Kinsol Research’s Spider networking technology as a command and control module for the robot, finishing development of the application, performing experiments, and writing a research paper. Kinsol Research will benefit from the polishing of its Spider software and hardware into a product more usable by customers. The project will also potentially demonstrate that Kinsol Research’s networking technology is ready for marketing deployment in research and commercial markets.

Faculty Supervisor:

Sue Whitesides

Student:

Partner:

Kinsol Research Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Victoria

Program: