Advances in Autonomy of Underwater Vehicles (AUVs)

Dear Colleagues,

The exploration and exploitation of underwater environments have long been of interest to scientists and engineers, driven by the need to understand marine ecosystems, exploit underwater resources, and secure maritime interests. Underwater vehicles, both manned and unmanned, have become indispensable tools in these endeavors. Among them, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have garnered significant attention due to their capability to operate without human intervention, enabling extended missions in complex and often hazardous underwater environments.

The scientific and technological advancements in underwater vehicle autonomy are rooted in several key areas: artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, robotics, and sensor technology. The development of sophisticated algorithms allows AUVs to perform complex tasks such as navigation, obstacle avoidance, and data collection with minimal human input. Machine learning and AI enable these vehicles to adapt to dynamic underwater conditions, improving their efficiency and reliability. Advances in sensor technology, including sonar, optical cameras, and environmental sensors, enhance the vehicle’s ability to perceive and interpret its surroundings.

The autonomy of underwater vehicles represents a critical frontier in marine science and engineering, with significant implications for both scientific research and practical applications. Autonomous systems can conduct extensive surveys of the ocean floor, monitor marine life, and collect data in environments that are otherwise inaccessible or too dangerous for human operators. This capability is particularly crucial for deep-sea or under-ice exploration, where the extreme conditions challenge even the most advanced manned submersibles.

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect and present a comprehensive collection of papers, including original research articles and review papers, that provide in-depth insights into the latest advancements in the autonomy of underwater vehicles. This Special Issue aims to highlight the cutting-edge developments in autonomous systems, focusing on the technological innovations, algorithms, and practical applications that are driving the next generation of underwater vehicles. By bringing together contributions from leading researchers and experts in the field, this Special Issue seeks to showcase the state-of-the-art in underwater vehicle autonomy, explore emerging trends, and identify future research directions. Through these collected works, we hope to provide a valuable resource for academics, engineers, and industry professionals involved in marine robotics and underwater technology, fostering further innovation and collaboration in this rapidly evolving area.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

• Advanced autonomy algorithms: innovations in AI, machine learning, and decision-making processes that enhance the autonomy of underwater vehicles, including navigation, path planning, and real-time adaptive behaviors.
• Sensor integration and perception: the development and integration of advanced sensors for environmental perception, obstacle detection, and situational awareness in complex underwater environments.
• Energy efficiency and power management: research on power systems, energy storage, and energy-efficient algorithms that extend the operational duration and range of autonomous underwater vehicles.
• Communication and data transmission: advances in underwater communication technologies and data transmission methods that support real-time control and data sharing between autonomous vehicles and surface stations.
• Multi-vehicle coordination and swarming: studies on the coordination of multiple autonomous underwater vehicles, including swarm intelligence, collaborative task execution, and distributed control systems.
• Autonomy in challenging environments: exploration of how autonomous underwater vehicles operate in extreme or dynamic environments, such as deep-sea, polar regions, or turbulent waters, and the specific challenges involved.
• Applications in scientific research: case studies and applications where autonomous underwater vehicles have been successfully deployed for oceanographic research, environmental monitoring, marine biology, and other scientific explorations.
• Industrial and commercial applications: the role of autonomous underwater vehicles in industrial applications, including offshore oil and gas exploration, undersea infrastructure inspection, and resource mapping.
• Simulation and testing platforms: development of simulation environments, testing protocols, and validation methods for assessing the performance and reliability of autonomous underwater vehicles.
• Ethical and regulatory considerations: discussions on the ethical, legal, and regulatory aspects of deploying autonomous systems in underwater environments, addressing issues such as safety, environmental impact, and governance.

This Special Issue encourages submissions that provide novel insights, propose new methodologies, or present significant case studies that link these themes, contributing to the broader understanding and advancement of underwater vehicle autonomy.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Prof. Dr. Neil Bose
Dr. Shuangshuang Fan
Dr. Jimin Hwang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs)
• underwater gliders
• guidance, navigation, and control
• informative planning
• AI and machine learning
• online decision-making
• adaptive sampling
• sensor fusion
• underwater communication
• multi-vehicle coordination
• mission-oriented autonomy