{"id":172492,"date":"2019-08-16T18:22:44","date_gmt":"2019-08-16T18:22:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov\/updates\/?p=172492"},"modified":"2025-03-24T14:39:39","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T14:39:39","slug":"noaa-ship-rainier-successfully-field-tests-autonomous-hydrographic-survey-launch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nauticalcharts.noaa.gov\/updates\/noaa-ship-rainier-successfully-field-tests-autonomous-hydrographic-survey-launch\/","title":{"rendered":"NOAA Ship Rainier successfully field tests autonomous hydrographic survey launch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Lt. j.g. Airlie Picket<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOAA Ship Rainier <\/em>field tested a new hydrographic survey platform this season. Last winter, one of the ship’s hydrographic survey launches was converted into a semi-autonomous vessel, allowing it to be operated remotely.  Hydrographic surveying is, by nature, dangerous. Autonomous systems have the potential to augment traditional surveying methods, improving efficiency and decreasing (or eliminating) risk to the surveyors themselves. As such, this technology is an exciting step toward fully-autonomous hydrographic survey systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

On the outside of the vessel, not much has changed. Cameras were installed around the vessel to provide a field of view for the remote operator.  Antennas for new data radios were also added for telemetry between the launch and the ship or shore, up to six nautical miles away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Autonomous
Autonomous survey launch (RA-3); red circles identify newly installed radios and cameras for autonomous operation. Credit: Lt. j.g. Airlie Pickett\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Interior
A main goal of this conversion was to maintain the ability to conduct normal survey operations with the survey launch while testing the autonomous system. The newly installed systems are as unobtrusive as possible so as not to interfere with the Coxswain\u2019s (driver) ability to operate the vessel. The red circles indicate an emergency shut off (right) and a vessel control panel (top). Credit: Lt. j.g. Airlie Pickett\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The interior of the launch is not obviously changed either.  However, behind the scenes are several new modules such as an autopilot, the data radio, and additional computers capable of navigating the launch on a route planned by the remote operator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communication between the operator and the autonomous survey launch (ASL) occurs via radio waves, similar in frequency to Wi-Fi. Information packets with instructions for the autonomous system are sent from a ship or launch-based operator.  Video from the launch cameras, position, speed, and system status data are sent back to the operator.  In addition, the launches multibeam echo sounder and other survey systems can be operated via a remote desktop connection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rainier\u2019s
Four antennae on Rainier\u2019s mast communicate with the launch. Credit: HST Amanda Finn\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The ASL is controlled in a variety of different ways.   An interface on a computer is used to operate the launch manually, just as a coxswain would. Alternatively, the launch can be controlled via a handheld remote controller (very similar to popular gaming controllers). We envision that these remote-control modes will be used when navigating the launch visually near the ship or piers.  For hydrographic surveying, the launch follows an assigned line plan created by the operator from the remote laptop. While operating in the autonomous mode, the launch is continuously monitored by a trained operator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"HAST
HAST Christina Brooks practices operating the vessel via handheld remote controller. Credit: HST Amanda Finn\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Manual
Manual driving interface from remote laptop with launch\u2019s forward camera angle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Screenshot
Screenshot of a line plan from the remote laptop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This project is a critical step in the future of\nhydrographic surveying.  In the near\nterm, unmanned systems will increase survey efficiency by autonomously\nsurveying open areas freeing our trained personnel to work in more complicated areas\nwhere direct human control is essential. \nIn the long term, we anticipate that  100% of our data acquisition may be performed with\nfully autonomous systems. That goal is years, perhaps decades, from being\nrealized. Implementing and testing systems like this in the field can\naccelerate that process by identifying potential problems early on. It\u2019s an\nongoing experiment and we\u2019re excited to be a part of it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Lt. j.g. Airlie Picket NOAA Ship Rainier field tested a new hydrographic survey platform this season. Last winter, one of the ship’s hydrographic survey launches was converted into a semi-autonomous vessel, allowing it to be operated remotely.  Hydrographic surveying is, by nature, dangerous. Autonomous systems have the potential to augment traditional surveying methods, improving … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “NOAA Ship Rainier successfully field tests autonomous hydrographic survey launch”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":172488,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3,7,8,14,15,20,23,24,337],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-172492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-autonomous-systems","category-bathymetry","category-hydrographic-surveys","category-hydrography","category-noaa-corps","category-noaa-ships","category-rainier","category-research-development","category-technology","category-uncrewed-systems"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nauticalcharts.noaa.gov\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nauticalcharts.noaa.gov\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nauticalcharts.noaa.gov\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nauticalcharts.noaa.gov\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nauticalcharts.noaa.gov\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172492"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/nauticalcharts.noaa.gov\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172492\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":185140,"href":"https:\/\/nauticalcharts.noaa.gov\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172492\/revisions\/185140"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nauticalcharts.noaa.gov\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/172488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nauticalcharts.noaa.gov\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nauticalcharts.noaa.gov\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nauticalcharts.noaa.gov\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}