In December 2023, Vicorob participated in an oceanographic campaign to validate the technologies developed in two research projects, the BITER and PLOME projects. A team of 9 people from the Underwater Vision and Robotics Lab embarked for 10 days in the Sarmiento de Gamboa oceanographic vessel, to conduct a set of validation experiments. The experiments were done in collaboration with partners of the projects: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) and the company Iqua Robotics.
The University of Girona used the Girona 1000 AUV to perform the experiments, done between 70 and 350 meters of depth on the Catalan coast from Palamós to Barcelona. The goal of the projects is to develop several technologies to improve the methodology for monitoring the demersal habitat by using a set of robotic systems. The team of Girona was able to successfully test acoustic communications at different frequencies with different emitters and hydrophones, AUV navigation based on ranges, target detection and mapping, and optical communications. Also, the team was in charge of operating the Girona 1000 for testing the developments of other teams.
Girona 1000 AUV recovered after a validation experiment.
The campaign was very successful, all goals were achieved, and the results will now be used to continue the work for preparing the final oceanographic campaigns of both projects planned for 2025.
Members of the campaign in front of the Sarmiento de Gamboa vessel in Palamós.
