When and where:

• 28th November 2024 (4pm to 5pm)
• MB1001, Seminar Room, Brayford Pool Campus + online

Robotic and bio-robotic technologies in marine science

A perspective on seabed restoration, monitoring and intervention and parallels with agricultural robotics

Abstract: Healthy oceans are essential for life on our planet, and tools that enable safe and efficient underwater operations are critical assets for their protection and sustainable exploitation. Several international initiatives, such as the United Nations’ “Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development” and the European Union’s “Restore Our Ocean and Waters” mission, are actively promoting environmental restoration and extensive mapping and monitoring of the marine environment.

Robotics already plays a vital role in various scientific and commercial sectors, yet significant challenges remain. For instance, interactions between robots and the environment—such as manipulation and sampling—are still primarily handled by Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), while autonomous systems for intervention remain in the R&D phase. Similarly, the idea of deploying a heterogeneous network of mobile and fixed platforms for large-scale spatial and temporal monitoring has not yet reached a high enough Technological Readiness Level (TRL) for real-world applications.

In this talk, I will introduce my Marie Curie post-doctoral project, BluE (Bio-inspired Legged Underwater Robotics for Ecological Monitoring and Exploration), along with several synergistic European projects (LIFE-ECOREST, DIGI4ECO, SUNBIO, MERLIN) currently underway at the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), part of the Spanish National Research Council. Together, these projects aim to develop innovative robotic solutions to address pressing challenges in marine operations through close collaboration between engineers and scientists. Many of the selected case studies focus on ecological monitoring and environmental restoration. Despite the obvious environmental differences, these tasks have much in common with those in agricultural robotics. I hope this presentation will spark engaging discussions and encourage collaboration between the agricultural and marine robotics sectors.

Speaker:

Dr. Giacomo Picardi, MSCA PostDoctoral Fellow, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain

Giacomo obtained the PhD in Biorobotics at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, Italy (SSSA). His research interests are related to the development and control of bioinspired robotic platforms for underwater monitoring and intervention, as well as precision agriculture and biomedical applications. He is currently involved as work package leader in three European projects related to marine environmental restoration, monitoring of the benthic, and development of novel autonomous robotic platforms.