NIO successfully develops Autonomous Underwater Vehicle-Maya

Panaji, June 14 (UNI) The prestigious National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) here has successfully designed and developed a state-of-the-art ''Autonomous Underwater Vehicle'' christened Maya that is bound to revolutionise submarine research.

Maya works like a guided Robot at different depths with several applications in oceanography including establishment of two-way high speed data communication from underwater.

The NIO has tested its performance successfully in two of its missions at the Iddukki dam site in Kerala at different depths. The organisation is poised to undertake further tests in several coastal waters of the country.

Disclosing this to UNI here today, a top source of the NIO, one of the 38 premier research laboratories under the umbrella of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), said the project was funded by the Department of Information Technology in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, New Delhi.

''The AUV can collect standard oceanographic data in confined areas, carry out shallow water bathymetry using acoustic methods, detect blooms with the help of optical radiometers besides working as a test platform for new sensor technologies,'' the sources said.

Maya is designed to receive commands from shore and also send data over high-speed radio link. Underwater navigation uses the Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) and a dead reckoning algorithm that estimates position below surface. Surface navigation is based on Geographysical Positioning System (GPS). The AUVs are essentially robot platforms that can be used to collect data and imagery in the ocean, lakes, estuaries, rivers, and dams.

These novel machines can also be programmed to dive and maintain control at any given depth layer in a water body, to change course, follow seabed terrain, avoid obstacles and return home when a mission is accomplished.

Maya was fitted with sensors to monitor/measure various underwater parameters such as oxygen, chlorophyll, conductivity, turbidity, temperature and depth.

In the first mission in Iddukki waters, the vehicle was programmed to dive to different depths in a staircase pattern up to 21 metres. In its second mission, the vehicle dived upto four kilometers of continuous operation besides successfully collecting data in both the missions.

A team of scientists - Dr Elgar Desa, R Madhan, Shivanand Prabhudesai, Pramod Maurya, Gajanan Navelkar, Sanjeev Afzulpurkar, A Mascarenhas, RG Prabhu Desai, SN Bandodkar and a group of young Project Assistants - were responsible for the project.

A single underwater motor is used to propel Maya. Two stern planes and a single rudder control diving and heading maneuver, respectively. The nose section on Maya is removable and different sensors can be fitted onto it for specific mission at sea.

UNI