Fins

Navigation

Batteries

AUV Sentry The autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sentry is a programmable robot capable of remaining submerged for 24 hours or more while carrying out complex physical, chemical, and biological research. The vehicle carries a customizable payload of sensors and samplers that allow it to support a variety of science needs such as mapping and photographing the seafloor, locating hydrothermal vents, and collecting samples of plankton in the water. Click on the buttons to learn more about the vehicle’s features.

Sensors & Samplers

Syntactic Foam

Thrusters

Communications

Syntactic Form Shaped blocks of syntactic foam provide Sentry’s buoyancy. They do not change shape under pressure, so they are able to provide a mounting surface for lights, antennas, and other small components.

Communications  Sentry communicates with its support ship via acoustic modem when submerged and via Iridium, RF, and strobe at the surface.

Batteries Lithium-ion batteries power the vehicle during underwater operations. When solely using the multibeam or performing camera surveys, they provide mission durations of up to 30 or 46 hours, respectively.

Fins Sentry's fin layout and positioning gives it fine control of its altitude over the seafloor. Each pair of fins moves together through 180 degrees, from straight up, to forward, to straight down.

Thrusters Sentry has four reversible thrusters, with large-diameter propellers that spin at low speeds, allowing the vehicle to operate reliably for extended periods of time.

Sensors & Samplers Sentry is equipped with a standard suite of scientific and engineering sensors. In addition, it can carry a customizable and growing list of instruments that can be matched to specific scientific needs.

Navigation Sentry carries Doppler velocity log, long- and ultra-short baseline navigation, inertial navigation, and GPS systems to determine its position while submerged and at the surface.