UAVs and the Future of Robotic oceanographers
Overview The future of robotics in oceanography is rapidly being transformed by the adoption of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). With the ability to improve data gathering, decrease cost and time, and enhance safety, UAVs offer a promising new horizon in marine studies. Essential statistics include a report by The Drone Market Report 2020 indicating a projected 66% growth in the drone market size by 2025. Uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) are also expected to expand from $2.29 billion in 2018 to $5.07 billion by 2025, according to MarketsandMarkets. The combination of aerial and underwater drone technology is likely to revolutionize ocean study and conservation efforts.
UAVs in Oceanography: A Paradigm Shift The adoption of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles in oceanography represents a significant shift in the way marine data is being captured. According to The Drone Market Report 2020, the drone market size is expected to grow by 66% from 2020 to 2025. The ability of UAVs to carry sensors and collect data over vast marine spaces with minimal human intervention can significantly decrease time and costs associated with offshore surveys. As UAV technology advances, it could transform the practice of marine science globally.
UUVs: The Underwater Vanguard Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) represent the vanguard of oceanographic studies. MarketsandMarkets reports that the global UUV market was valued at approximately $2.29 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach $5.07 billion by 2025. This reflects a significant growth trend in the integration of robotic systems for underwater exploration. UUVs can perform a variety of tasks from mapping the ocean floor to studying marine life in depths unreachable by human divers.
The Synergy of UAVs and UUVs The combined application of UAVs and UUVs can provide comprehensive aerial and underwater data, opening new possibilities for marine conservation, exploration, and research. With both systems working in synergy, vast and previously inaccessible marine regions can be explored and monitored more effectively. Emerging technologies such as advanced telemetry and automated control systems can enable more coordinated operations between UAVs and UUVs, leading to large-scale, high-resolution ocean surveys.
Key Takeaways
- Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are expected to grow in market size by 66% by 2025 and significantly decrease time and costs associated with offshore surveys.
- The global Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) market was valued at approximately $2.29 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach $5.07 billion by 2025, significantly impacting underwater exploration.
- The combined application of UAVs and UUVs opens new possibilities for marine conservation, exploration, and research.
How 3Laws Robotics Can Support These Developments
At 3Laws Robotics, we are dedicated to enhancing the safety and reliability of robotic systems. Our flagship product, 3Laws Supervisor, is designed to simplify the certification process by providing robust safety features and evidence of system robustness, potentially easing the certification path.
Built on Control Barrier Functions (CBFs), a technology developed at Caltech that claims to provide mathematically provable safety, this software enhances operational efficiency by minimizing downtime caused by unnecessary e-stops or collisions. Through real-time guardrails for autonomy stacks, 3Laws Supervisor allows robots to operate closer to their peak capabilities while maintaining safety.
Our application scope spans diverse industries and applications, with the most notable being warehouse automation where we registered a 40% efficiency gain resulting in a 6-month payback period. In human-robot interactions, we ensure safe and uninterrupted operation of robots near humans, meeting a growing need for collaborative robotics solutions.
The adaptability of our software means it can work with a wide range of platforms, from mobile robots to drones and manipulators, and it is compatible with common robotics middleware such as ROS and ROS2. With 3Laws Robotics, we present a next-generation safety solution that transcends traditional e-stop methods, providing a proactive approach to dynamic, predictive safety that can be certified for ISO 3691-4 and ISO 26262.