Development of Nereid-UI: A Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle for Oceanographic Access Under Ice

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and collaborators from the Johns Hopkins University and the University of New Hampshire are developing a remotely-controlled underwater robotic vehicle to provide the Polar Research Community with a capability to be tele-operated under ice under direct real-time human supervision. The Nereid Under-Ice (Nereid-UI) vehicle, Figure 1, will enable exploration and detailed examination of biological and physical environments at glacial ice-tongues and ice-shelf margins through the use of HD video in addition to acoustic, chemical, and biological sensors, Table 1. We anticipate propulsion system optimization that will enable us to attain distances up to 20 km from an ice-edge boundary, as dictated by the current maximum tether length. The goal of the Nereid-UI system is to provide scientific access to under-ice and ice-margin environments that is presently impractical or infeasible. The project design phase is underway, with incremental field testing planned in 2014. We welcome input from the Polar Science Community on how best to serve your scientific objectives. The Nereid-UI vehicle will employ technology developed during the Nereus HROV project including lightweight expendable tethers and tolerance of communications failures. Performance goals include: 1. Extreme horizontal and vertical mobility - access to under-ice crevasses and glacier grounding- lines, close inspection and mapping. 2. Real-time exploration under direct human control. 3. Response to features of interest by altering sensing modality and trajectory as desired 4. Access to the calving front 5. Access to the under-ice boundary layer 6. Future manipulation, sample retrieval, and instrument emplacement capability Supported by NSF OPP under ANT-1126311, James Family Foundation, George Frederick Jewett Foundation East, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Fig. 1: Nereid-UI Concept of Operations. Table 1: Nereid-UI Specification

Design and Fabrication of Nereid-UI: A Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle for Oceanographic Access Under Ice

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and collaborators from the Johns Hopkins University and the University of New Hampshire are developing for the Polar Science Community a remotely-controlled underwater robotic vehicle capable of being tele-operated under ice under remote real-time human supervision. The Nereid Under-Ice (Nereid-UI) vehicle will enable exploration and detailed examination of biological and physical environments at glacial ice-tongues and ice-shelf margins, delivering high-definition video in addition to survey data from on board acoustic, chemical, and biological sensors. Preliminary propulsion system testing indicates the vehicle will be able to attain standoff distances of up to 20 km from an ice-edge boundary, as dictated by the current maximum tether length. The goal of the Nereid-UI system is to provide scientific access to under-ice and ice-margin environments that is presently impractical or infeasible. FIBER-OPTIC TETHER: The heart of the Nereid-UI system is its expendable fiber optic telemetry system. The telemetry system utilizes many of the same components pioneered for the full-ocean depth capable HROV Nereus vehicle, with the addition of continuous fiber status monitoring, and new float-pack and depressor designs that enable single-body deployment. POWER SYSTEM: Nereid-UI is powered by a pressure-tolerant lithium-ion battery system composed of 30 Ah prismatic pouch cells, arranged on a 90 volt bus and capable of delivering 15 kW. The cells are contained in modules of 8 cells, and groups of 9 modules are housed together in oil-filled plastic boxes. The power distribution system uses pressure tolerant components extensively, each of which have been individually qualified to 10 kpsi and operation between -20 C and 40 C. THRUSTERS: Nereid-UI will employ eight identical WHOI-designed thrusters, each with a frameless motor, oil-filled and individually compensated, and designed for low-speed (500 rpm max) direct drive. We expect an end-to-end propulsive efficiency of between 0.3 and 0.4 at a transit speed of 1 m/s based on testing conducted at WHOI. CAMERAS: Video imagery is one of the principal products of Nereid-UI. Two fiber-optic telemetry wavelengths deliver 1.5 Gb/s uncompressed HDSDI video to the support vessel in real time, supporting a Kongsberg OE14-522 hyperspherical pan and tilt HD camera and several utility cameras. PROJECT STATUS: The first shallow-water vehicle trials are scheduled for September 2013. The trials are designed to test core vehicle systems particularly the power system, main computer and control system, thrusters, video and telemetry system, and to refine camera, lighting and acoustic sensor placement for piloted and closed-loop control, especially as pertains to working near the underside of ice. Remaining vehicle design tasks include finalizing the single-body deployment concept and depressor, populating the scientific sensing suite, and the software development necessary to implement the planned autonomous return strategy. Final design and fabrication for these remaining components of the vehicle system will proceed through fall 2013, with trials under lake ice in early 2014, and potential polar trials beginning in 2014-15. SUPPORT: NSF OPP (ANT-1126311), WHOI, James Family Foundation, and George Frederick Jewett Foundation East

Preliminary Polar Sea Trials of Nereid-UI: A Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle for Oceanographic Access Under Ice

We report the development and deployment of a remotely-controlled underwater robotic vehicle capable of being teleoperated under ice under real-time human supervision. The Nereid Under-Ice (Nereid-UI or NUI) vehicle enables exploration and detailed examination of biological and physical environments including the ice-ocean interface in marginal ice zones, in the water column of ice-covered seas, at glacial ice-tongues, and ice-shelf margins, delivering realtime high definition video in addition to survey data from on board acoustic, optical, chemical, and biological sensors. The vehicle employs a novel lightweight fiber-optic tether that will enable it to be deployed from a ship to attain standoff distances of up to 20 km from an ice-edge boundary. We conducted NUI’s first under-ice deployments during the July 2014 F/V Polarstern PS86 expedition at 86° N 6 W° in the Arctic Ocean - near the Aurora hydrothermal vent site on the Gakkel Ridge approximately 200 km NE of Greenland. We conducted 4 dives to evaluate and develop NUI’s overall functioning and its individual engineered subsystems. On each dive, dead-reckoning (Ice-locked Doppler sonar and north-seeking gyrocompass) complemented by acoustic ranging provided navigation, supporting closed-loop control of heading, depth, and XY position relative to the ice. Science operations included multibeam transects of under-ice topography, precision vertical profiles for the bio-sensor suite and IR/radiance sensor suite, IR/radiance/multibeam transects at constant depth interlaced with vertical profiles and upward-looking digital still-camera surveys of the ice, including areas rich with algal material. The fiber-optic tether remained intact throughout most of all 4 dives. Consistent with the NUI concept of operations, in 3 of 4 dives the fiber-optic tether eventually failed, and the vehicle was then commanded acoustically in a series of short-duration maneuvers to return to Polarstern for recovery. These preliminary dives ranging up to 800 m from Polarstern at a max. depth of 45 m, and traveling up to 3.7 km under moving sea ice. SUPPORT: NSF OPP (ANT-1126311), NOAA OER (NA14OAR4320158), WHOI, James Family Foundation, George Frederick Jewett Foundation East, PS86 Chief Scientist Antje Boetius, and the Captain and Crew of F/V Polarstern PS86