SOUTH KINGSTOWN – Through iceberg measurements, scientists can gain a wealth of environmental data and prevent maritime damage and disruptions. But getting close enough to these icebergs to record accurate data is a challenge for ships, which must keep a 50-meter (55-yard) distance.
To overcome this obstacle, a team of researchers from the University of Rhode Island will lead a $1.5 million effort, funded by the National Science Foundation, to develop multiple underwater robotics platforms capable of gathering an up-close perspective of the size, shape and speed of icebergs, including an autonomous surface vehicle, an autonomous underwater vehicle and several underwater profiling floats.
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To provide the needed data, the platforms require careful programming using design coverage algorithms, says Mingxi Zhou, an assistant professor of oceanography at URI and the lead researcher on the project.
“If you don’t carefully consider the movement of the icebergs, navigating the robots can be difficult,” Zhou said. “It can also cause distorted mapping results, especially when mapping the underwater portion of an iceberg with an underwater robot.”
Chris Roman, a professor of oceanography at URI, and Zhuoyuan Song, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, will also be involved with the project.
Additionally, the team will provide educational opportunities for local middle school and high school students throughout the project.
The robotics platforms will set off from the coast of Newfoundland in 2024 and 2026 and will “record the shape, size and drifting speed of the icebergs, and the properties of the surrounding water, creating a unique dataset to better understand iceberg melting and drifting processes,” according to a news release.
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.
