AUVSI Publication 2004 | Photos | Team

The 4th generation SubjuGator vehicle has participated in 1 year of operation at the University of Florida from 2003 to 2004.

For the 2004 competition, the Machine Intelligence Lab is venturing down a path few are willing to trek.  Keying off the graceful and articulate lines of a stingray, the University of Florida’s  design  goes beyond  the traditional submarine technology.  Preconceived notions have been shed to take advantage of rules that stipulate the submarine must fit within a 3’x 3’x 6’ box and weigh less than half of last year’s vehicle weight.   New weight requirements were also considered in the new design.  Blending composite materials with a wet hull design, team members are aiming for a compact package that weighs less than seventy pounds.

The new sub must be able to navigate through an underwater gate, receive and correctly interpret a visual navigation signal underwater, and then proceed on a search pattern to approach within visual detection range of a small LED display.  At the display, the autonomous vehicle must then engage two specified target receptacles, successfully loading these with special 1.5 pound marker modules, and returning to base, all within the specified time