Autonomous underwater vehicles: future platforms for fishery industry
U0300643 Cheong Chong Kiat
Underwater vehicles had been around for 2 centuries or more and the fishery industry starts way back before civilization where people hunt for food on land, above sky and under the sea. Nowadays, this high-tech automation combined with this traditional industry forms a potential industry or even new research area like monitoring endangered species of marine mammals (in ecosystem studies)or predicting huge catch in the monsoon season (assessment of fish stock).
Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) are today new development of underwater vehicle that can be classified as manned or unmanned systems. AUVs are programmed to execute some underwater “missions” that may involve danger to the human if they are the ones to conduct these tasks. Deep under the sea, there are unforeseen undercurrents that are beyond people imagination. With the typically small, quiet, and have the potential to operate at low cost and be unconstrained by the vagaries of weather AUV, people can remotely view the events going on in the dark and murky environment while they are above sea.
Time and money are wisely spent on improving system such as acoustic system and communication link from the target (school of fish) to the person who monitor via the Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV). After gathering the data and information and through detail analysis, the UUV is retrieved back for regular maintenance and next inspection for the next bout. UUV are truly the best right-hand “man” in the fishery industry and even research on fishery science for the universities.
[1]http://www.ausi.org/publications/PopaEtal2004.pdf
[2]http://www.ausi.org/publications/SeaTechSolar.pdf
[3]http://www.ausi.org/publications/ICRA_01paper.pdf
