Design, Development and Testing of Underwater Vehicles: ITB Experience

Abstract: The last decade has witnessed increasing worldwide interest in the research of underwater robotics with particular focus on the area of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The underwater robotics technology has enabled human to access the depth of the ocean to conduct environmental surveys, resources mapping as well as scientific and military missions. This capability is especially valuable for countries with major water or oceanic resources. As an archipelagic nation with more than 13,000 islands, Indonesia has one of the most abundant living and non-organic oceanic resources. The needs for the mapping, exploration, and environmental preservation of the vast marine resources are therefore imperative. The challenge of the deep water exploration has been the complex issues associated with hazardous and unstructured undersea and sea-bed environments. The paper reports the design, development and testing efforts of underwater vehicle that have been conducted at Institut Teknologi Bandung. Key technology areas have been identified and step-by-step development is presented in conjunction with the need to meet the challenge of underwater vehicle operation. A number of future research directions are also highlighted.