Improved biodiversity detection using a large-volume environmental DNA sampler with in situ filtration and implications for marine eDNA sampling strategies

Metabarcoding analysis of environmental DNA samples is a promising new tool for marine biodiversity and conservation. Typically, seawater samples are obtained using Niskin bottles and filtered to collect eDNA. However, standard sample volumes are small relative to the scale of the environment, conventional collection strategies are limited, and the filtration process is time consuming. To overcome these limitations, we developed a new large-volume eDNA sampler with in situ filtration, capable of taking up to 12 samples per deployment. We conducted three deployments of our sampler on the robotic vehicle Mesobot in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico and collected samples from 20 to 400 m depth. We compared the large volume (~40-60 liters) samples collected by Mesobot with small volume (~2 liters) samples collected using the conventional CTD-mounted Niskin bottle approach. We sequenced the V9 region of 18S rRNA, which detects a broad range of invertebrate taxa, and found that while both methods detected biodiversity changes associated with depth, our large volume samples detected approximately 66% more taxa than the CTD small volume samples. We found that the fraction of the eDNA signal originating from metazoans relative to the total eDNA signal decreased with sampling depth, indicating that larger volume samples may be especially important for detecting metazoans in mesopelagic and deep ocean environments. We also noted substantial variability in biological replicates from both the large volume Mesobot and small volume CTD sample sets. Both of the sample sets also identified taxa that the other did not; although the number of unique taxa associated with the Mesobot samples was almost four times larger than those from the CTD samples. Large volume eDNA sampling with in situ filtration, particularly when coupled with robotic platforms, has great potential for marine biodiversity surveys, and we discuss practical methodological and sampling considerations for future applications.

Ground-penetrating radar profiles of the McMurdo shear zone, Antarctica, acquired with an unmanned rover : interpretation of crevasses, fractures, and folds within firn and marine ice

The crevassed firn of the McMurdo shear zone (SZ) within the Ross Ice Shelf may also contain crevasses deep within its meteoric and marine ice, but the surface crevassing prevents ordinary vehicle access to investigate its structure geophysically. We used a lightweight robotic vehicle to tow 200- and 40 MHz ground-penetrating radar antennas simultaneously along 10 parallel transects over a 28 km² grid spanning the SZ width. Transects were generally orthogonal to the ice flow. Total firn and meteoric ice thickness was approximately 160 m. Firn crevasses profiled at 400 MHz were up to 16 m wide, under snow bridges up to 10 m thick, and with strikes near 35°–40° to the transect direction. From the top down, 200- MHz profiles revealed firn diffractions originating to a depth of approximately 40 m, no discernible structure within the meteoric ice, a discontinuous transitional horizon, and at least 20 m of stratified marine ice; 28–31 m of freeboard found more marine ice exists. Based on 10 consecutive transects covering approximately 2.5 km², we preliminarily interpreted the transitional horizon to be a thin saline layer, and marine ice hyperbolic diffractions and reflections to be responses to localized fractures, and crevasses filled with unstratified marine ice, all at strikes from 27° to 50°. We preliminarily interpreted off nadir, marine ice horizons to be responses to linear and folded faults, similar to some in firn. The coinciding and synchronously folded areas of fractured firn and marine ice suggested that the visibly unstructured meteoric ice beneath our grid was also fractured, but either never crevassed, crevassed and sutured without marine ice inclusions, or that any ice containing crevasses might have eroded before marine ice accretion. We will test these interpretations with analysis of all transects and by extending our grid and increasing our depth ranges.

MODEL PREDICTIVE CONTROL OF AN AUV USING DE-COUPLED APPROACH

This paper considers the decoupled dynamics and control of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). The decoupled model consists of speed, steering and depth subsystems. Generally AUV model is unstable and nonlinear. The central theme of this paper is the development of model predictive control (MPC) for underwater robotic vehicle for ocean survey applications. The proposed MPC for decoupled structure can have simple implementation. Simulation results have been presented which confirm satisfactory performance. Decoupled approach is well suitable for applying control.

Mathematical Problems of Collaborating Robotic Vehicle Traffic

Предложен подход для моделирования динамики транспортных потоков для взаимодействующих аппаратов на основе теории самосогласованного поля, основанного на уравнениях А.А. Власова. Сформулированы проблемы применимости таких моделей для описания коллективных явлений трафика в связи с задачами поведения «стаи» роботизированных однородных взаимодействующих аппаратов в фазовом пространстве на основе кинетического подхода. An approach to the simulation of time-dependent collaborating vehicle traffic flows based on the self-consistent field theory and A. Vlasov equations are proposed. The problems of the simulation model applicability to collaborative traffic processes such as the behavior of a swarm of identical collaborating vehicles in phase space using the kinetic approach are stated.

The Implementation of a Hierarchical Hybrid Navigation System for a Mobile Robotic Vehicle

<p>One of the challenges of robotics is to develop a robot control system capable of obtaining intelligent, suitable responses to dynamic environments. The basic requirements for accomplishing this is a robot control architecture and a hardware platform that can adapt the software and hardware to the current state of the environment. This has led researchers to design control architectures composed of distributed, independent and asynchronous behaviours. In line with this research, this thesis details the development of a control system which adopts a hierarchical hybrid navigation architecture designed at Victoria University of Wellington. The implementation of the control system is aimed towards one of Victoria University of Wellington’s fleet of mobile robotic platforms called MARVIN. MARVIN is a differential drive robot and the sensory equipment on the device includes infrared sensors and odometry. The control system has been implemented in C# .NET programming language adopting a Service- Oriented Architecture. This software framework provides several services along with a graphical user interface to configure the control system. Several experiments have been carried out to test the control system and the results indicate that the features of the navigation architecture have been accomplished</p>

The Implementation of a Hierarchical Hybrid Navigation System for a Mobile Robotic Vehicle

<p>One of the challenges of robotics is to develop a robot control system capable of obtaining intelligent, suitable responses to dynamic environments. The basic requirements for accomplishing this is a robot control architecture and a hardware platform that can adapt the software and hardware to the current state of the environment. This has led researchers to design control architectures composed of distributed, independent and asynchronous behaviours. In line with this research, this thesis details the development of a control system which adopts a hierarchical hybrid navigation architecture designed at Victoria University of Wellington. The implementation of the control system is aimed towards one of Victoria University of Wellington’s fleet of mobile robotic platforms called MARVIN. MARVIN is a differential drive robot and the sensory equipment on the device includes infrared sensors and odometry. The control system has been implemented in C# .NET programming language adopting a Service- Oriented Architecture. This software framework provides several services along with a graphical user interface to configure the control system. Several experiments have been carried out to test the control system and the results indicate that the features of the navigation architecture have been accomplished</p>

The Smart Sailing Robot for N avigational I nvestigation i s Used to Explore a ll the Details on the Z one of the W ater Pura

Ocean Exploration and Navigational Research is driving undertakings by supporting undertakings with PC vision frameworks have shown potential for Sailboat robots made to make assessments at the surface. The marine environment presents an in each commonsense sense, ideal showing ground for the assessment and improvement of robotized progressions. Robot cruising is a tricky task in both turn of events and controlling the boat consequently it joins a wide degree of orders. The cruising robot researches in comprehension of video film, the ID of cruising features, human-robot correspondence, vehicle control, position assessment and mechanical course of action. Key applications for this vessel are the appraisal of marine living spaces and complex moves. An idea presented has been with a Robotic vehicle what starts normally and truly control the moving thing in the water the robot will get and sends the information to the PC which uses advanced picture managing improvement and investigates appropriate pictures by seeing cut down features which will follow the article present in the outside of ocean. The DC motors are used to turn the arms of the robot to get living spaces.

The Smart Sailing Robot for N avigational Investigation is Used to Explore all the Details on the Zone of the Water Pura

Ocean Exploration and Navigational Research is driving undertakings by supporting undertakings with PC vision frameworks have shown potential for Sailboat robots made to make assessments at the surface. The marine environment presents an in each commonsense sense, ideal showing ground for the assessment and improvement of robotized progressions. Robot cruising is a tricky task in both turn of events and controlling the boat consequently it joins a wide degree of orders. The cruising robot researches in comprehension of video film, the ID of cruising features, human-robot correspondence, vehicle control, position assessment and mechanical course of action. Key applications for this vessel are the appraisal of marine living spaces and complex moves. An idea presented has been with a Robotic vehicle what starts normally and truly control the moving thing in the water the robot will get and sends the information to the PC which uses advanced picture managing improvement and investigates appropriate pictures by seeing cut down features which will follow the article present in the outside of ocean. The DC motors are used to turn the arms of the robot to get living spaces.

The role of robots in the green economy

Purpose This aims to illustrate the role robotic technology is playing in the key sectors of the green economy. Design/methodology/approach Following a short introduction, this paper discusses existing and potential robotic applications in three key sectors of green economy: renewable energy, recycling and waste management and sustainable transport. This is followed by a discussion and concluding comments. Findings Robots are playing critical and growing roles in each of the three sectors of the green economy considered. Uses are expanding in the production of renewable energy systems and in their inspection and maintenance. Advances in AI and machine vision have enabled robotic mixed waste sorting which plays a vital role in recycling, and the robotic disassembly of electronic products is also gaining pace. Robots are being used extensively in the sustainable transport sector in the manufacture of electric vehicles and also in the production and recycling of electric vehicle batteries. Emerging applications include robotic vehicle recharging and battery swapping. Originality/value This provides an insight into the many ways in which robots are contributing to key sectors of the green economy.