The VICOROB research group of the University of Girona carried out tests this summer in the port of Sant Feliu de Guíxols to validate a parking station for autonomous underwater robots.
Future applications of these vehicles will require them to be on the seabed for long periods of time and, therefore, it is necessary to have stations that allow them to be housed. These stations allow robots to remain safe when they do not have to perform any tasks and can recharge the batteries and communicate through a connection from the station to the outside.
The tests
The tests consisted of testing the location systems of the Sparus II underwater robot to locate the station and carefully monitor the trajectory until it was introduced. The robot performs all the movements completely autonomously, using acoustic measurements that allow the station to be located.
The results were satisfactory and the next step will be to carry out tests outside the port to continue validating the technology in a more real situation.
For more information: http://cirs.udg.edu
