Autonomous underwater robot as an ideal platform for marine gravity surveys

Abstract

The prospects for using autonomous underwater robots in solving marine gravimetry problems are considered. It is shown that the autonomous underwater robot is a good platform that provides new advanced features for precision measurements and mapping of local gravitational fields and their anomalies. The paper provides experimental data that allow us to estimate the accuracy of the measurements taking into account navigational and dynamic errors. The data obtained from the analysis are used to study procedures of gravimetric measurements by covering the local field by network of trajectories. The results of trajectory measurements are analyzed using a computer gravity model, and thus the map of gravitational field is restored. The accuracy of the mapping of a local gravity anomaly field is evaluated for model processes. The informativeness of the considered methods of gravimetry procedures is evaluated. Navigation errors are also evaluated using algorithms of nonlinear filtering.