Development of a resident AUV for scientific observation

The resident AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) project aims at developing an observation vehicle based on and returning from a cabled observation infrastructure on the seabed, so as to extend its observation radius without recourse to a ship. It is the mobile extension of a permanent fixed-point underwater observation system, designed for reducing the cost of in situ observational data, decreasing their environmental footprint and broadening their spatial range. The project has started in May 2023. It is currently focusing on de-risking the main critical building blocks associated to resident systems (docking maneuver, contactless data/power transmission, secured positioning) before launching the design of the vehicle itself. This project is part of the « technological innovation » activities of the IFREMER ScInObs project (science and innovation for subsea observatories).