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Instrument

Autonomous Surface Vehicle

A flexible, mobile platform for oceanographic and environmental monitoring

United States

An autonomous surface vehicle stands on a frame awaiting launch.

The new autonomous surface vehicle launched at PNNL-Sequim in April 2022 provides a flexible, mobile platform for sensor testing and environmental monitoring.

(Photo by Shanon Dell | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

PNNL-Sequim launched a new autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) in April 2022 that provides a flexible, mobile platform for research in marine energy, autonomy, and environmental monitoring. The self-navigating catamaran named Jonesy opens valuable new opportunities to test advanced sensors and future integration with and around marine energy or offshore wind device installations.

An autonomous surface vehicle floats on Sequim Bay.
The new ASV was launched in Sequim Bay in April 2022. (Photo by Shanon Dell | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

At 3 meters long with a top speed of 6 knots, the ASV is a fast, high-capacity research platform that can be used to deploy multiple sensors and custom hardware. It can run for 6 hours continuously or for up to a day of intermittent use on each deployment, covering a large spatial area.

Researchers watch the maiden voyage of the new autonomous surface vehicle from deck of the R/V Desdemona in Sequim Bay
PNNL researchers watch the maiden voyage of the new autonomous surface vehicle from deck of the R/V Desdemona in Sequim Bay. (Photo by Shanon Dell | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

The ASV will serve as an important testbed for remote docking and charging at marine energy devices, automated environmental monitoring of critical coastal habitats, and advanced autonomy and edge computing research. It is already being used in multiple projects, including:

  • Autonomously detecting and mapping carbon dioxide uptake in shallow, coastal ecosystems, which play an important role in carbon storage but are difficult to map using conventional vessels or underwater vehicles (Autonomous Mapping of Carbon Dioxide Removal in Coastal Environments, contact: Emma Cotter)
  • Testing and developing energy efficient, onboard artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches to process complex, multi-sensor data in support of port and maritime security as well as search and rescue efforts in remote areas (US-UK Collaboration on Resilience and Security (COLORS), contact: Theodore Nowak)

The ASV is available to support programmatic needs. Please reach out to Rob Cavagnaro at asvjonesy@pnnl.gov to find out more about this resource.

Contacts

Rob Cavagnaro
Mechanical Engineer
robert.cavagnaro@pnnl.gov
(206) 528-3372
Erin Walters
Ocean Engineer
erin.walters@pnnl.gov
(206) 528-3129

Research topics

Coastal Science
Ecosystem Science
Marine Energy
Environmental Monitoring for Marine Energy
National Security

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