Safety aspects for underwater vehicles

Abstract

Advances in technologies related to miniature sensors, memories, embedded controllers, power systems and materials has resulted in development of variety of autonomous underwater platforms for ocean exploration. The future in oceanographic instrumentation is intelligent small Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV's), autonomous profilers, gliders [1], etc. The ultimate aim in all autonomous platforms research and development is to reach the stage of unescorted missions with minimum failures. This stresses for implementation of multiple safety measures of a high degree so that the platform operates continuously in a fail-safe mode. This paper discusses issues on safety measures implemented on the autonomous underwater platforms namely MAYA AUV and the Autonomous Vertical Profiler [AVP] developed at NIO, Goa. The safety aspects in Design & Construction, Operations, Monitoring and Emergency have been addressed. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.