In Vladivostok, Robots Combining Air, Surface and Underwater Operations to Be Tested
Scientists are preparing to test a network of unmanned vehicles that will combine aerial, surface and underwater systems into a single complex. The project is being developed at Admiral Nevelskoy Maritime State University.
Each vehicle will have its own role, while all of them will be managed through a common system. Anton Gubankov, scientific director of the Marine Robotic Triad strategic project, said a surface drone will deliver equipment to the required area, after which underwater vehicles will survey the site. An aerial drone will search for objects and maintain communications between the different components. These three elements will form the backbone of the system.
The development has already undergone its first test: on August 17, the MANS 02 unmanned surface vessel was tested in Amur Bay. The next stage is scheduled for 2027.
Yevgeny Vishnevsky, an expert with the National Technology Initiative, noted that getting different types of robots to work together smoothly is harder than creating a single robot. Another challenge is teaching the system to identify objects and process data using artificial intelligence.
Potential applications for the system include protecting ports and coastal waters, monitoring pollution and searching for fish.
