Work has begun to build "Springer", an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) that will be able to operate in shallow water.
Funded primarily by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), this innovative vehicle will be built at the University of Plymouth by a multidisciplinary team including engineering and artificial intelligence experts. A wide range of industrial and public sector partners are also involved.
Pollutants that affect inland and coastal waters include organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, which reduce water quality and disturb the natural balance of organisms. They are deposited in waterways via sewage discharges and run-off from agricultural land. Conventional methods of tracking these pollutants to their source, e.g. boat sampling and airborne sensing, are expensive and limited in effectiveness because they can't be used easily in shallow water. These systems also have to be manned by operators making them more expensive to run than a remote controlled device.
Springer will enable comprehensive surveys to be undertaken more economically than is currently possible. About 3m long, 1.5m wide and with a twin hull, the vehicle will operate in water 1m-60m deep. Designed to work autonomously or under remote manual control, Springer will use a wireless link to communicate with its operator and transmit collected data. The vehicle will be electrically powered, avoiding the possibility of diesel contamination of water or atmosphere.
The project aims to stimulate the growth of UK expertise in USV technology, which is attracting increasing interest worldwide. A key focus will be the development of a novel navigation, guidance and control system that will allow Springer to switch seamlessly between automatic and manual control modes.
Professor Bob Sutton is leading the initiative. He says: "We aim to produce full-scale trials data of interest to environmental and marine agencies, and to industry. The information generated by vehicles like Springer could make a major contribution to the effective cleaning up of our waterways".
Notes for Editors
The 3-year research initiative, "An Unmanned Surface Vehicle with Pollutant Tracking and Surveying Capabilities", will receive EPSRC funding of around £251,000. The project will link in with an existing EPSRC-funded initiative, also led by the University of Plymouth, which is currently developing Hammerhead, an autonomous underwater vehicle with tracking capabilities.
The project team will harness a range of skills covering artificial intelligence, advanced control systems engineering theory, multi-sensor data fusion, dynamics, propulsors and integrated navigation systems.
Springer is named after the Springer spaniel, a breed of dog with renowned tracking abilities. The vehicle will be equipped with sensors able to measure conductivity, temperature, turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and other parameters. Springer will also act as a test bed platform for other academic and scientific institutions involved in environmental data gathering, sensor and instrumentation technology, control systems engineering and power systems based on renewable energy sources.
The project partners are:
Cattewater Harbour Commission
Devonport Management Ltd
Environment Agency
Instituto Superior Tecnico
J & S Marine Ltd
QinetiQ (Winfrith) Ltd
RESON Offshore Ltd
South West Water plc
Tamar Estuaries Consultative Forum
These will provide harbour and waterway facilities, marine consultancy, and a range of technical and other input.
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK's main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. The EPSRC invests more than £500 million a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone's health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC also actively promotes public awareness of science and engineering. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK. Website address for more information on EPSRC: www.epsrc.ac.uk/
For more information, contact:
Professor Bob Sutton, Marine and Industrial Dynamic Analysis Research Group, School of Engineering, University of Plymouth, Tel: 175-223-2425/ 233-664, E-mail: r.sutton@plymouth.ac.uk
Jane Reck, EPSRC Press Officer, Tel: 179-344-4312, E-mail: jane.reck@epsrc.ac.uk.