Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program, Phase 2, an Autonomous Gliding Vehicle for the Distributed Observation of the Littoral Environment

Abstract : LONG-TERM GOAL. My goal is to bring into widespread use a fleet of gliding AUVs as important participants in littoral operations. I plan to exploit the profiling and navigational advantages of gliders together with simple robust and inexpensive design and operation, and demonstrate their substantial capabilities for coastal AOSN operations. OBJECTIVES. Establish the utility and refine the performance of littoral gliders making them an obvious, proven, and economical component of AOSN programs, doing this by making observational runs of progressively increasing range and endurance aimed at consolidating and debugging the design of the first complete prototype. Demonstrate and quantify both the performance and robustness of the basic vehicle, and the ability to serve as platforms for observations, communication, and AOSN operations.