HR: 1330h
AN: OS32A-0229    [PDF]
TI: The Autonomous Benthic Explorer and Sentry: Autonomous Underwater Vehicles for Near-Bottom Geophysical Survey
AU: * Bradley, A M
EM: abradley@whoi.edu
AF: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MS18, 201h Smith Bldg, Woods Hole, MA 02543 United States
AU: Yoerger, D R
EM: dyoerger@whoi.edu
AF: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MS18, 201h Smith Bldg, Woods Hole, MA 02543 United States
AU: Walden, B B
EM: bwalden@whoi.edu
AF: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MS18, 201h Smith Bldg, Woods Hole, MA 02543 United States
AU: Duester, A R
EM: aduester@whoi.edu
AF: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MS18, 201h Smith Bldg, Woods Hole, MA 02543 United States
AU: Catanach, R M
EM: rcatanach@whoi.edu
AF: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MS18, 201h Smith Bldg, Woods Hole, MA 02543 United States
AB: The Autonomous Benthic Explorer (ABE) and Sentry are autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) designed for deep-ocean near bottom surveys. ABE has completed over 100 science dives while Sentry is under construction and nearing completion. Both vehicles have a maximum depth of 5000m and travel at typical speeds of 0.6 m/sec. At this speed, ABE has sufficient power for over 33 hours of level survey with its basic sensor suite, LBL navigation system, sonar altimeter, conductivity and temperature, precision depth, optical backscatter, 675 kHz scanning bathymetric sonar and a magnetometer. Optional sensors currently include an 80-element 200kHz multibeam sonar and a 1280x1024 12 bit CCD camera with xenon flash. In typical ocean ridge conditions, image quality is good up to 10m off the bottom. ABE is a holonomic vehicle and can maneuver safely over rugged terrain. If desired, ABE's position in the LBL net can accurately be monitored from the ship although ABE can operate completely unattended. ABE includes an emergency acoustic command link for control from the ship if necessary. Sentry is designed to have lower hydrodynamic drag than ABE but sacrifices true holonomic control by eliminating direct lateral drive. Sentry will carry all the sensors of ABE plus an ADCP and INS navigation package.
DE: 3035 Midocean ridge processes
DE: 4294 Instruments and techniques
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting