High-precision control in water

Simultaneous measurement and navigation by multiple robots.

The Academic Space Initiative Switzerland (ARIS), in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, has established a mission: multiple autonomous underwater robots will simultaneously dive into a lake to collect measurement data at depths ranging from 5 to 30 meters. The goal is to visualize water quality in three dimensions. The greatest advantage of a swarm is its simultaneity. Instead of measuring sequentially at individual points, forming a densely synchronized measurement area allows for the detection of anomalies, identification of hotspots, and narrowing down of pollution sources. To achieve this, each robot must always have an accurate understanding of the water depth. Why "water depth"? GPS cannot be used underwater. Since underwater robots cannot verify their location as they can on land, pressure becomes the most important indicator for determining position and orientation. In this project, the KELLER Pressure sensor PAA-9LX has been adopted. These sensors are mounted within the robot's waterproof housing and measure the surrounding water pressure. Water depth is calculated in real-time from this pressure data. For more details, please refer to the related links below!

Pressure