Robotic exploration of Atlantic waters
The JUNO project explores the evaluation and operational testing of the Autonaut, an innovative autonomous surface vehicle designed for long-term, sustainable ocean monitoring. Powered by wave energy, the Autonaut enables data collection missions in hard-to-reach or sensitive areas, including Marine Protected Areas, with minimal environmental impact.
JUNO aims to demonstrate the Autonaut’s ability to observe and study short-lived and spatially confined oceanographic phenomena, such as algal blooms or ocean fronts, where temperature and salinity undergo rapid changes over small spatial scales. These phenomena, like coastal upwelling, significantly influence marine ecosystems, boosting nutrient availability and supporting the growth of the marine food chain.
The project also highlights the potential of the Autonaut in monitoring transient oceanographic features, such as vortices that act as hotspots for the aggregation of floating debris and plastics. Its silent operation, free from engines and fuel, makes it ideal for deploying passive acoustic sensors to study underwater noise in environmentally sensitive or underexplored regions of the Atlantic.
As an experimental initiative, JUNO will emphasize the development and refinement of remote operation software to manage autonomous systems independently or in collaborative campaigns. This software will address challenges such as risk management in high-traffic areas, simplify long-term operations, and provide open access to collected data for scientists and citizens alike.
Ultimately, JUNO envisions fostering a collaborative and multidisciplinary environment where researchers, organizations, and citizens can engage in ocean research and innovation. By enabling inclusive participation, the project aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of our oceans while promoting sustainable and effective observation practices.
The project is a collaboration between CoLAB +Atlantic and the Laboratório de Sistemas e Tecnologias Subaquáticas of the Faculty of Engineering at Porto University and Prof. Pierre Lermusiaux, at MIT.
JUNO—Robotic Exploration of Atlantic Waters project - Refª 2021/0008 - is funded by the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD)
