OceanServer Technology, a leader in next generation AUV technology, announced today that Cal Poly has agreed to purchase a second Iver2 AUV for research purposes. The first Iver2 AUV was purchased in 2008 and has been used extensively for a variety of research applications, including one project that required the vehicle to operate under the ice in the Arctic.

The new vehicle will also be a multi-use platform in a number of research efforts including marine life tracking (such as sharks). The EP42 vehicle will be outfitted with a DVL for precision navigation and acoustic current profiling, along with a dual-port camera system and a low-power acoustic modem.

The EP42 expandable payload (EP) platform includes a dedicated user CPU with a disk to enable the installation of a user-selected operating system, sensor drivers and behavioral software. In addition, the EP vehicle ships with a well-documented application protocol interface (API) with select vehicle command options to permit backseat driver control of the Iver2 AUV. The EP42 vehicle provides added payload space and a larger battery system with 760W/hr of total battery capacity for extended mission range.

The Iver platform

All Iver2 AUV models come standard with OceanServer’s VectorMap mission planning and data presentation tool, which provides geo-registered data files that can be easily exported to other software analysis tools. This unique software design, coupled to a growing variety of sensors, has enabled OceanServer to carve out a strong position in the research space for autonomous underwater vehicles.

The VectorMap program can input NOAA ENCs or any geo-referenced chart, map or photo image, allowing the operator to intuitively develop AUV missions using simple point-and-click navigation. The base vehicle, with a starting price at just over $50,000, gives university, government and commercial users an affordable base-platform for sensor development or survey applications in water quality, hydrography, sub-surface security and general research.