Automated Plume Tracking

Continuing a collaboration with oceanographers (CESAM, CCMAR and CIIMAR), a prototype of the ENDURANCE system was put to test to track automatically the Douro river's salinity plume.

Two AUVs deployed on Douro outfall, were able to detect the salinity difference between river and ocean water and, with that, track the plume autonomously by generating plans onboard (adaptive sampling).

As the plans were generated onboard, the ENDURANCE system was used to synchronize plans with the web allowing the operators to supervise the vehicles' behavior and to stop them in case of potential collisions with surface traffic.