Mr Karl Watfern1, Ms Sian Liddy1,2, Mr Jack Scott1, Professor Craig Johnson3, Professor Stefan Williams4, Mr Tom Loefler1
1Hullbot Pty Ltd, Rozelle, Australia, 2The University of Sydney, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Group, Sydney, Australia, 3University of Tasmania, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Hobart, Australia, 4The University of Sydney, School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Australian Centre for Field Robotics, Sydney, Australia
Habitat-forming kelps ameliorate abiotic conditions in otherwise harsh and structurally limited environments, but are facing global declines from compounding anthropogenic stressors. Sea urchins can overgraze kelp, forming low productivity ‘barrens’ habitat with reduced structural complexity and biological diversity. Synergistic effects of warming ocean temperatures and ecological overfishing of lobsters has facilitated southward incursion of the sea urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii which are now overgrazing seaweed-dominated reefs in eastern Tasmania. It is clear that urchin management is required to conserve remaining kelp beds. It is estimated that ~95% of urchins need to be removed from barrens to effect kelp recovery, but at present there is no efficient means of removal at meaningful spatial scales over the depth range required (15-35 m). The depth and scale precludes manual diver removals, and current ROV systems possess limited on-board intelligence, necessitating multiple highly-skilled operators for each robot. Here, we describe the development of a novel, modular robotic platform that can enhance kelp restoration efforts through active urchin management. Hullbot has designed and built an advanced underwater robotic system capable of navigating and localising around submerged objects using a state-of-the-art multi-camera vision system fused with additional sensors and neural networks to identify urchins. Preliminary Hullbot deployments have successfully identified C. rodgersii and culled urchins using supervised autonomy in field trials. We present the initial design of this platform, and outline the development trajectory of this eminently scalable technology that can serve as an important tool in global kelp restoration efforts through urchin removal.
Biography:
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