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About

Stephen R. Turnock is a leading figure in marine robotics, whose research has fundamentally advanced the manoeuvrability and control of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). His most defining contribution is the conceptualisation and development of the "Zero-G Class" underwater robot—a new class of vehicle capable of unrestricted attitude control. To achieve this, Turnock pioneered the use of internal actuation via Control Moment Gyros (CMGs), a novel scheme that decouples the vehicle's orientation from external hydrodynamic forces, granting it unprecedented freedom in motion. This foundational work, detailed in his highly cited 2007 paper (70 citations), has opened new possibilities for inspection and intervention tasks in complex underwater environments. Complementing this theoretical breakthrough, Turnock led the design of the Delphin2 AUV, an over-actuated, hover-capable torpedo-style platform at the University of Southampton. Serving as a dedicated test bed for manoeuvring research, Delphin2 (29 citations) has been instrumental in translating his CMG control theories into practical, real-world systems. Through these innovations, Turnock has established himself as a pioneer in internal actuation for underwater robotics, profoundly shaping how researchers approach agile, unrestricted vehicle control.