Development of a Multi-Motion Mode Underwater Vehicle for Sea Ice Observation

This study addresses the observational requirements of the Arctic sea ice near the bottom and the shallow underwater marine environment. A modular design concept has been employed to develop an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) that integrates agile cruising and ice-bottom crawling capabilities. Equipped with a variety of sensors, buoyancy adjustment mechanisms, and multi-thruster collaborative control systems, the AUV is capable of conducting continuous and long-term observations of seafloor morphology, underwater optics, and hydrology with lower energy consumption. In 2024, the AUV successfully completed under-ice applications in the Arctic, obtaining valuable observational data beneath the ice.