The aim of this project is the development of fundamental approaches towards quantitative energy optimal planning for ocean and air vehicles operating in uncertain dynamic environments. In recent years we have observed a growing use of autonomous vehicles in many different applications including security, acoustic surveillance, distribution of goods, search and rescue, oil and gas exploration, and ocean monitoring and forecasting. Especially when it comes to marine operations, where ocean sensing is crucial to most autonomous missions due to uncertainty, long endurance and low energy cost are vital requirements. This is where this project comes in, allowing us to get a fundamental understanding of how uncertainty affects these operations and how it can be handled more effectively.

Superurop is a great opportunity for undergrads who want to be exposed to graduate-level research. My goal is to work in the intersection of energy and ocean engineering and apply a combination of mathematical and computational approaches to solve complex and challenging problems. This is a constantly evolving area, with a lot of progress to be made, so I’m excited about being part of the process with my research.