A new generation of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) could revolutionize underwater exploration and provide greater insight into ocean warming.
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Some new underwater vehicles, such as the Mare-IT project, are designed for industrial purposes, such as inspecting oil rigs or wind turbines. The project’s two-armed underwater robot is used for complex inspection and maintenance tasks. But researchers say the most urgent need is for scientific exploration.
“We need to measure how much heat the ocean and atmosphere absorb each year,” Hugh Roarty, an oceanographer at Rutgers University and IEEE member, told Lifewire in an email interview. “This will help provide guidance for the climate models we use to make decisions and shape policy.”
The Mare-IT project is an example of how underwater vehicles are becoming more and more like robots.
