MASCOT - Maritime Autonomous Sampling and Control

Vision:

MASCOT is an inter-disciplinary project to build on the science of statistical sampling for oceanographic applications with autonomous robots. Sampling refers to the design of observational strategies in spatio-temporal domains, enabling autonomous platforms to decide on a strategy of where and when to make measurements to increase our knowledge of dynamic environments like the upper water-column. While the project's focus is on methodological development of algorithms, we will leverage complex oceanographic models on shore to build statistical models and generate a strategy for sampling, and embed these onboard autonomous marine vehicles, validating the theory while impacting the science of oceanography.

Primary Objectives:

• using physics-based data to develop realistic spatio-temporal

statistical models and methods for environmental sampling using

recent advances in computational and spatial statistics

* advancing embedded decision-making using these scalable methods onboard
autonomous robotic vehicles

* building up a cohort of young researchers who will look at
problem-solving methods in novel inter-disciplinary ways,
with modern computational methods, for generating new knowledge of
our environment with direct impact to policy making, society and
education

Partners:

NTNU, SINTEF Ocean, University of Porto (Underwater systems and Technology Laboratory)