Design of an advanced AUV for deployment close to the seabed and other hazards

High-resolution (acoustic & video) seabed survey requires deployment of sensors on platforms close to the seabed. The unstructured, harsh and hazardous nature of the ocean environment and close proximity to the seabed and other hazards produces serious problems for autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) during the mission. The Mobile & Marine Robotics Research Group at the University of Limerick is developing a highly manoeuvrable AUV/ROV platform to address the challenges of high-resolution seabed survey in both shallow and deep water. The overall system integrates state-of-the-art survey equipment, a multi-thruster open-frame AUV Tethra and an advanced control system. This paper gives a short overview of the overall system including simulation results.