Abstract
Observation of the climate and ecosystem of ice covered polar seas is a timely task for the scientific community. The goal is to assess the drastic and imminent changes of the polar sea ice cover induced by climate change. Retreating and thinning sea ice affects the planets energy budget, atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns as well as the ecosystem associated with this unique habitat. To increase the observational capabilities of sea ice scientists, we equipped a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) as sensor platform for interdisciplinary research at the ice water interface. Here we present the technical details and operation scheme of the new vehicle and provide data examples from a first campaign in the Arctic in autumn 2016 to demonstrate the vehicle’s capabilities. The vehicle is designed for efficient operations in the harsh polar conditions. Redundant modular design allows operation by three scientists simultaneously operating a wide variety of sensors. Sensors from physical, chemical and biological oceanography are combined with optical and acoustic sea ice sensors to provide a comprehensive picture of the underside of sea ice. The sensor suite provides comprehensive capabilities and can be further extended as additional ports for power and communication are available. The vehicle provides full six degrees of freedom in navigation, enabling intervention and manipulation skills despite its simple one function manipulator arm.
Highlights
Marine robotic technologies have found increased use in the marine science community during the recent years
Its interdisciplinary sensing capabilities can be adapted to the individual mission by additional scientific sensors
Particular strengths of the vehicle are its compact size despite the various sensors
Summary
Marine robotic technologies have found increased use in the marine science community during the recent years. While the harsh environmental conditions for routine offshore operations are already challenging, the operation of sophisticated robotic technologies in the polar regions is constrained by many limiting factors. In addition to cold temperatures and poorly predictable weather, the sea ice cover is a serious inhibitor to robotic operations hindering asset deployment, retrieval, communication, and navigation. The Arctic and Antarctic sea ice region are understudied mainly due to the logistical difficulty for access. Accessing the underside of polar sea ice is challenging, as human SCUBA diving underneath the ice cover poses a great logistical challenge, and comparably high risks. Cold water temperatures significantly limit diving times and safety precautions limit the spatial range of diving operations from the access hole
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