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    How an Automated Underwater Vehicle Cuts Underwater Risk, Cost and Guesswork [Image 10 of 11]

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    How an Automated Underwater Vehicle Cuts Underwater Risk, Cost and Guesswork

    STRATTON, OHIO, UNITED STATES

    07.24.2025

    Photo by Andrew Byrne 

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District

    A semi-autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) sits on the land wall before a field test at New Cumberland Locks and Dam in Stratton, Ohio. The AUV was built by Carnegie Mellon University spinoff Aquatonomy, which led the technical portion of the test, and overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center.

    Remote-operated vehicles currently in use by the Pittsburgh District’s dive team provide an overhead, “airplane-view” sonar perspective of submerged infrastructure. The AUV, however, uses a pan-tilt camera system so inspectors can obtain vertical views of walls and gate components, and visualize the vehicle’s position with a 360-degree sonar view.

    The AUV aims to reduce unnecessary exposure and improve planning, inspections, safety, and access to areas which may be difficult, hazardous or hard-to-reach. In practice, the AUV would primarily assist teams conducting underwater inspections, such as the district’s dive team. The team is responsible for inspecting submerged infrastructure such as locks and dams on the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers, as well as 16 district-operated reservoirs in the region. They also respond to emergencies, such as debris impeding locking operations, and average 75 days in the water per year. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Andrew Byrne)

    IMAGE INFO

    Date Taken: 07.24.2025
    Date Posted: 09.25.2025 14:38
    Photo ID: 9339825
    VIRIN: 250724-A-XW512-2276
    Resolution: 5113x3409
    Size: 2.08 MB
    Location: STRATTON, OHIO, US

    Web Views: 58
    Downloads: 3

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