Robust Robotic Manipulation of Physical Structures Under Water

This project will develop robust control algorithms for underwater vehicle-manipulator systems to stably interact with physical structures, such as underwater pipes, valves, and assets. The project will be conducted in close collaboration with industry, with an industrial use-case in focus. It will bring together the expertise of robotic manipulation and path planning for surface inspection at Heriot-Watt University, the expertise of robust and optimal control techniques for sea vehicles at Caledonian University, and the industrial use case of iTech7, a branch of Subsea7, on underwater applications.