Researchers in Japan are testing whether the deployment of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) for research can be significantly enhanced by pairing them with communication-linked UAVs hovering overhead to relay data to human monitors on the ground.
Experts at the University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science have conducted tests using aerial drones to track submerged AUVs as they operate, and replacing the floating vessels that usually act as their base stations collecting or relaying information feeds. Those surface level craft tend to move slowly in monitoring the position and data collection of submarine drones, and are at times swept astray by waves or other sea disturbances. As a possible option to those, the researchers tried using hovering UAVs as aerial trackers, and found the craft to be efficient, fast, and stable communication options.
In their study published last month, the scientists detailed the use of drones to follow AUVs as they…
