An AUV-Enabled Dockable Platform for Long-Term Dynamic and Static Monitoring of Marine Pastures

Abstract

Environmental monitoring plays a crucial role in the development of marine ranches and the surveillance of underwater aquaculture organisms. To capitalize on the real-time, long-term, and static observation capabilities of seabed networks, as well as the dynamic and large-scale monitoring potential of underwater vehicles, a novel mobile platform for ocean ranches has been proposed. This platform comprises a floating platform, a docking station, and an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). The floating platform utilized is a versatile ocean testing platform that can be securely anchored in close proximity to the designated observation area. To enable static monitoring alongside the floating platform, a lightweight connection station, constructed using polyvinyl chloride pipes, is designed to accompany the platform. The AUV is employed for dynamic monitoring and is seamlessly linked to the aforementioned components using docking technology. Consequently, this integrated system achieves dynamic and static observations centered around a movable floating platform. Field experiments conducted in lakes and seas have validated the efficacy of this system in multiple scenarios, both on the surface and underwater. These experiments have demonstrated the system's ability to autonomously dock, transmit wireless signals and power, facilitate long-term static observations of fixed nodes, and conduct autonomous cruising for dynamic monitoring purposes.