Meet the Ocean Explorers: AUVs

What if robots could dive deep into the ocean for us? Meet Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), robot submarines that explore without needing humans onboard!

AUVs can:
- Map the ocean floor like giant underwater cartographers
- Track currents and temperatures to help predict hurricanes
- Spot pollution or chemical changes
- Discover shipwrecks, coral reefs, or new sea creatures

They carry lots of sensors, like cameras, sonar, pH detectors, and even oxygen meters. But the deep sea is tricky: it’s dark, pressurized, and full of obstacles. That’s why AUVs use AI to:
- Steer around rocks or reefs
- Recognize objects like shipwrecks
- Follow patterns (like finding areas of warm water or pollution)

AI in AUVs:
Artificial intelligence gives AUVs the ability to make smart decisions underwater like avoiding any obstacles during its navigation and recognizing some objects it is looking for. When they detect something unusual, AI helps them choose whether to collect a sample, take a picture, or change course. This makes exploration safer and faster and allows scientists to study the deep sea in new ways.

Watch them in action: https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/08bonaire/background/auvs/media/movies/auv-v-capture-320x240.mp4