This process could greatly change how scientists collect data.
Scientists working at NASA are developing artificial intelligence for underwater drones which would help them study jupiter’s moon Europa.
While satellites can study the ocean surface, their signals cannot penetrate the surface below; thus, the need for more advanced drones.
“Autonomous drones are important for ocean research, but today’s drones don’t make decisions on the fly,†said Steve Chien, the leader of Artificial Intelligence Group at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.
“In order to study unpredictable ocean phenomena, we need to develop submersibles that can navigate and make decisions on their own, and in real-time. Doing so would help us understand our own oceans – and maybe those on other planets,†Chien said in a statement.
If the project proves successful, it could lead to submersibles that can plot their own course as they go, based on what they detect in the water around them.
This process could greatly change how scientists collect data, while also developing the kind of autonomy needed for planetary exploration, said Andrew Thompson, Assistant Professor at California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
“Our goal is to remove the human effort from the day-to-day piloting of these robots and focus that time on analysing the data collected,†Thompson said.
“We want to give these submersibles the freedom and ability to collect useful information without putting a hand in to correct them,†he added.
As part of this research, a group of scientists from NASA plus a few other institutions have used six coordinated drones to explore the Monterey Bay in California. The fleet of drones roved for miles, all while recording changes in salinity and temperature, which would plot their next route.