AUVProgramme

AUVProgramme is an international collaborative effort focused on research, development, and deployment of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The programme coordinates technical research, field trials, and standardization activities to advance capabilities for scientific, industrial, and security-related applications.

The initiative was established in the early 2000s and brings together universities, national laboratories, marine industries, and government agencies. It operates under a rotating governance structure with a steering committee, a programme director, and regular plenary meetings. Funding comes from participating members, supported by national grants and industry contributions. The programme promotes open data policies, shared software tools, and common safety and environmental guidelines.

Core objectives include expanding underwater autonomy, improving navigation and sensor fusion, and developing modular payloads for diverse missions. Activities include multi-vehicle field trials, design challenges, software standardization, and dissemination of results through workshops and publications. Test ranges and collaboration hubs support cross-institutional experiments and knowledge transfer.

Technologies of interest encompass inertial navigation systems, Doppler velocity logs, high-resolution sonar, energy storage, communications, mission-planning algorithms, and simulation environments, with attention to cyber-physical security and reliability in harsh ocean conditions.

The programme supports ocean science, seabed mapping, environmental monitoring, and offshore infrastructure inspection, contributing to safer operations and a better understanding of marine ecosystems. It maintains a neutral stance, prioritizes safety and responsible innovation, and aims to balance open science with strategic considerations.