Autonomous Arctic mothership could aid sea ice study

Starting with a small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH) vessel, engineers at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) designed a fully autonomous system to monitor the ice from the air and the water. The SWATH acts as a mothership and docking station, collecting measurements itself but also generating and storing power for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

With the twin hull providing stability, the mothership also features automated sailing, as well as solar panels and an underwater turbine to generate its power. The system is described in detail in the journal Applied Ocean Research.  

“Our proposed autonomous observation platform system offers a comprehensive approach to studying the Arctic environment and monitoring the impact of melting sea ice,” said senior author Tsung-Chow Su, a professor in FAU’s Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering.

“Its design and capabilities make it well-suited to overcome the challenges of the Arctic’s unique conditions. By providing a self-sustaining platform for continuous data collection, this design supports scientific research, environmental protection and resource management, laying the foundation for year-round monitoring of the Arctic.”