Unmanned Systems Technology 028 | ecoSUB Robotics AUVs I ECUs focus I Space vehicles insight I AMZ Driverless gotthard I InterDrone 2019 report I ATI WAM 167-BB I Video systems focus I Aerdron HL4 Herculift

34 Dossier | ecoSUB Robotics AUVs but some can be integrated within it. Payloads that have been integrated so far include CTD sensors, an altimeter, fluorometer, camera and a sound velocity profiler. Several other sensors are currently being integrated. Again, 3D printing makes it easier to accommodate a growing range of sensors using bespoke nose cones. Multiple switched power supplies are available, along with various comms protocols, Sloane says. Where they meet the sensors at the nose, they come together in bespoke underwater connectors built to ecoSUB Robotics’ requirements by STS Defence, leading into the circuit boards via cables also made to the company’s specifications by the same company. Each connector provides plenty of standard data interfaces including RS-232, I 2 C, Ethernet and USB, along with power. Front seat, back seat Resisting the pressure to build the ecoSUB’s electronics around open architecture standards that would enable customers to integrate their own payloads and even autonomous behaviours into the vehicles – largely to retain clarity over who carries the responsibility for any accidents – the team found a different way to accommodate such requests, which they call the “front seat, back seat” approach. “Think of it like a taxi,” Sloane says. “Our driver sits in the front seat, and he’s got all the behaviours in the library and all the nannies that watch over things and make sure he can’t do anything stupid, and he just takes instructions from the back seat. “The customer is on the other side, where he has access to this back-seat architecture and can put in anything they like – within reason – and send us instructions. We check them, and if what they want is doable then we’ll do it; if not we’ll tell them to think again.” This process takes place when the vehicle is delivered, and ecoSUB Robotics gives the customer a programming guide containing sets of instructions that are acceptable to the autopilot. That maintains clarity about responsibilities. Production and future developments Completed in batches of 12 at the moment, the ecoSUB AUVs are entering production at the company’s facility in Petersfield, England. By the end of this year or early next, Sloane expects to be building between 50 and 100 per year of all variants. Organisationally, everything connected with the ecoSUB AUVs – including staff – will transfer from Planet Ocean to ecoSUB Robotics over the next 18 months. As to future developments, Sloane believes that much depends on what happens with the enabling technologies. “The materials and battery chemistries will change, and new sensors will come along from universities and other places – all of which will be beyond our control. “That is the sort of thing that will move us forward more than refining these vehicles anymore, although developers in these fields are continually seeking our input, as they realise that what is good for us will inevitably be good for other sectors.” October/November 2019 | Unmanned Systems Technology All the plastic parts, including this forward pressure case end cap and the custom-made adapter plate for this fluorometer, are 3D-printed in waterproofed nylon (Courtesy of ecoSUB Robotics) Bespoke nose cones for sensors such as this GoPro camera, acoustic modem and altimeter can be created easily using 3D printing, making integration of new sensors simpler (Courtesy of ecoSUB Robotics)