National Science Foundation to fund $1.5 million project to develop underwater robot swarm for studying ice shelves

A team of researchers from Oregon State University will lead a three-year, $1.5 million project to develop and test an underwater robot swarm for studying ice shelves. The robots will be able to collect critical data on the size of ice cavities and the properties of the surrounding environment.

The project is funded by the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs. The project aims to advance underwater research in enclosed and difficult-to-access environments, such as cavities beneath ice shelves.

Image source: WVU researcher helping to deploy robots underwater (kolotv.com) 

Working in water under ice is particularly challenging, as communication in these conditions is difficult and there is no direct access to the surface to retrieve a submarine robot. Scientists need robots that can enter these spaces and then return safely.

The working concept is a system that includes a large underwater mothership that carries and can deploy a swarm of small AUVs, which can disperse and explore the waters beneath a melting ice shelf or in other difficult-to-reach locations. The robots will be able to operate autonomously and make decisions based on the surrounding conditions.

The project will involve the development of a system for deploying and retrieving the swarm of small AUVs from the mothership, the development of equipment and protocols for communication and positioning in underwater conditions, and algorithms for navigation and decision-making that allow the robots to adapt their behavior and data collection to the conditions they encounter.

Over the next three years, researchers plan to conduct a series of tests in water, including tests in a frozen lake in Oregon.

If the challenge can be solved in the most challenging underwater environment, the development could be effectively used in a number of other conditions, such as in coastal waters, where a swarm of small AUVs could be effectively used for sampling.

Rover technologies are already well known for aerial and terrestrial environments, but off-the-shelf solutions do not work in underwater-underice environments.

The research team also includes Phil Landrigan from Brigham Young University; Atsushi Muto from Temple University; Nicholas Ripkema from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Yu She from Purdue University; and Si Yu from West Virginia University. 

Is the idea of using solar energy in underwater exploration viable?

At first glance, the idea may not seem promising. After all, how much solar energy can penetrate through the thickness of water? It is well known that eternal darkness reigns at depth. Nevertheless, researchers from Tandon University in New York have been considering the prospects of photovoltaics in exploring the world's oceans using autonomous and remotely operated underwater robots. Source: Nature Photonic https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-023-01276-z 

Underwater robots are an excellent tool for scientists to conduct various underwater explorations. However, the autonomy of robots is limited by the need for constant recharging. Often, onboard power sources are not installed on remotely operated vehicles, forcing them to rely on power supplied through cables from accompanying vessels.

The Tandon researchers are considering creating alternative power systems for autonomous and remotely operated underwater vehicles that would allow them to surface less frequently for recharging. Moreover, underwater power sources would also be useful for underwater sensors, navigation, and communication systems, reducing their dependence on battery resources or eliminating the need to run power cables to them.

Research has shown that using waves, tides, and currents for underwater exploration has potential, but their effectiveness depends on location and can limit mobility. Thermal energy from the ocean and temperature gradients are also options, but they have limited potential for stationary underwater devices. However, sunlight has potential as visible light can penetrate up to 50 meters deep, providing energy for recharging underwater robots and electronic devices. 

One issue with using photovoltaic cells underwater is that common ones are optimized for red and infrared light, reducing their efficiency underwater. Alternative options such as gallium indium phosphide (GaInP) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) panels show higher efficiency in ocean conditions, as well as organic (OSC) and perovskite cells. 

Biofouling is another issue as research has shown that after just 30 days, over 50% of the absorbing surface of underwater panels is affected, reducing their efficiency. This problem is more significant in tropical waters but becomes less of an issue at higher latitudes, making the idea viable in Arctic waters. 

While a final answer to the question of using solar energy in underwater exploration is premature, the idea of using photovoltaics to create underwater solar power stations may be worth further investigation.  \\