An Autonomous Probing System for Collecting Measurements at Depth from Small Surface Vehicles

Abstract

This paper presents the portable autonomous probing system (APS), a low-cost robotic design for collecting water quality measurements at targeted depths from an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV). This system fills an important, but often overlooked niche in marine sampling by enabling mobile sensor observations throughout the near-surface water column without the need for advanced underwater equipment. We present a probe delivery mechanism built with commercially available components and describe the corresponding winch control system. and data captured from this system in a field deployment. Finally, we discuss design trade-offs and present areas for future improvement. Project details are available on our website