GoKawiilWHOI researchers build sonar-vision system for robots in murky underwater sediment
Amy Phung and Richard Camilli of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution developed a navigation method that lets underwater robots map their surroundings using sonar, which works regardless of water clarity, then pairs that data with a French-developed image-matching algorithm to estimate depth in real time. This combination lets a vehicle safely approach objects even when cameras are blinded by sediment clouds stirred up during seafloor operations.