An autonomous underwater vehicle as a student project

The challenge presented to five fourth-year undergraduate students was to take a "top-down" systems approach to design, construct, programme and test an underwater vehicle operating in a "hands-off" mode. To achieve the aim of semi-autonomous operation, a commercial SEAPUP remotely operated vehicle, with 300 metres of cable, was adapted so that a computer replaced its joystick. The project was treated as a learning process leading ultimately to the design and operation of a true AUV.