The underwater environment, covering nearly 80% of the planet, is critical in maintaining ecological balance and supporting human well-being. Effective conservation relies on thoroughly understanding underwater species distribution and ecosystem dynamics, which can be time-consuming and costly.
A team of US National Science Foundation-funded researchers at the Minnesota Interactive Robotics and Vision Laboratory seek to overcome these challenges by developing advanced autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that are powered by artificial intelligence to collect vast amounts of data, provide detailed insights into species distribution, and create comprehensive habitat maps for understanding environmental drivers.
Story by ON&T
