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1.1 Overview
The YSI EcoMapper is a one-man deployable, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) designed to collect
bathymetry and water quality data. The submarine-like vehicle follows a programmed course and employs
sensors mounted in the nose to record pertinent information. Once the vehicle has started its mission, it
operates independently of the user and utilizes GPS waypoints and “Dead Reckoning” navigation to complete
its programmed course. Throughout the course, the vehicle constantly steers toward the line drawn in the mission
planning software (VectorMap), essentially following a more accurate “road” of coordinates instead of transversing
waypoint-to-waypoint. When equipped, the vehicle also uses a Dopplar Velocity Log (DVL) to increase its underwater
navigation accuracy. Upon completing its mission, the vehicle uses Windows® Remote Desktop to relay the collected
data via WiFi connection, facilitated by the Communications Box, to the user’s computer.
Nose
Handle
Weight Track
DVL
Sensor Guard
Communications Box
1.1