Mesobot, an autonomous underwater vehicle, addresses specific unmet needs for observing and sampling a variety of phenomena in the ocean’s midwaters. The midwater hosts a vast biomass, has a role in regulating climate, and may soon be exploited commercially, yet our scientific understanding of it is incomplete. Mesobot has the ability to survey and track slow-moving animals and to correlate the animals’ movements with critical environmental measurements. Mesobot will complement existing oceanographic assets such as towed, remotely operated, and autonomous vehicles; shipboard acoustic sensors; and net tows. Its potential to perform behavioral studies unobtrusively over long periods with substantial autonomy provides a capability that is not presently available to midwater researchers. The 250-kilogram marine robot can be teleoperated through a lightweight fiber optic tether and can also operate untethered with full autonomy while minimizing environmental disturbance. We present recent results illustrating the vehicle’s ability to automatically track free-swimming hydromedusae (Solmissus sp.) and larvaceans (Bathochordaeus stygius) at depths of 200 meters in Monterey Bay, USA. In addition to these tracking missions, the vehicle can execute preprogrammed missions collecting image and sensor data while also carrying substantial auxiliary payloads such as cameras, sonars, and samplers.

Mesobot是一种自主水下航行器，可满足在海洋中层水域观察和采样各种现象的特定未满足需求。中层水域拥有大量的生物量，在调节气候方面发挥作用，可能很快就会被商业开发，但我们对它的科学理解还不完整。Mesobot能够调查和跟踪缓慢移动的动物，并将动物的运动与关键的环境测量相关联。中型机器人将补充现有的海洋资产，如拖曳、遥控和自动驾驶车辆；船上声学传感器；和网拖。它有可能在长时间内不引人注意地进行行为研究，并具有相当大的自主权，这提供了目前中水研究人员无法获得的能力。这个 250 公斤的海洋机器人可以通过轻量级的光纤绳进行遥控操作，也可以完全自主地不受束缚地操作，同时最大限度地减少环境干扰。我们展示了最近的结果，说明车辆能够自动跟踪自由游动的水螅（Solmissus sp.）和幼虫（Bathochordaeus stygius) 在美国蒙特雷湾 200 米深处。除了这些跟踪任务外，车辆还可以执行预编程任务，收集图像和传感器数据，同时还携带大量辅助有效载荷，如摄像机、声纳和采样器。