The National Science Foundation Division of Information and Intelligent Systems awarded the University of Delaware $140,201 on October 1, 2025, under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering program (CFDA 47.070) to advance autonomous underwater robotics through enhanced situational awareness.
The award funds research to enable autonomous operation of robotic systems in underwater environments where GPS, conventional communication, and visibility are unavailable or severely constrained. The investigator and graduate students will develop four technical capabilities: multi-sensor fusion to calculate robot position as it moves through water; environmental representation algorithms to support autonomous navigation; path-planning methods accounting for distance efficiency and areas of scientific interest; and exploration strategies for unknown underwater domains. Work addresses the unique challenges of underwater autonomy—no global positioning system availability, extremely limited communication bandwidth where present, and visibility obstruction from water particulates—to improve cost-effectiveness and scalability of underwater data collection.
Performance occurs in Newark, Delaware, with a completion date of November 30, 2026. The University of Delaware receives the award as prime recipient.