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MBARI’s newest underwater robot seeks to make ocean exploration more accessible

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Outfitted with an innovative sensor suite and advanced algorithms developed by MBARI’s CoMPAS Lab, the MOLA autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is a new portable robot that can collect detailed data about ocean environments. Image: Giancarlo Troni © 2024 MBARI

MBARI’s newest underwater robot seeks to make ocean exploration more accessible

The MOLA AUV is a powerful and portable underwater robot equipped with advanced sensors and software to collect detailed data about ocean environments.

Why It Matters

At a time of unprecedented change to our ocean, we urgently need to expand access to technology for monitoring marine life and ecosystems. MBARI’s new nimble, lower-cost autonomous robot will allow researchers to scale observations of seafloor habitats.

With marine life and ecosystems facing a rising tide of threats, the ocean exploration community needs nimble, cost-effective tools for measuring and monitoring ocean health. To address this need, MBARI’s CoMPAS Lab developed the MOLA AUV, a portable autonomous robot primed to study marine environments. 

An engineer lowers a robot into a large tank of water for testing. The engineer is wearing a blue shirt, black pants, orange life vest, and white hard hat. He is standing on a beige fiberglass bridge with a yellow railing. The robot has a black metal frame and yellow cylinder metal housing with a glass-domed camera housing and two bright lights. It is dangling from white ropes attached to a large metal crane hook at the top of the frame. The background is an engineering testing lab, with the still black water of a large test tank in the foreground at the bottom of the frame.
Led by Principal Engineer Giancarlo Troni, MBARI’s CoMPAS Lab has developed advanced sensors and software for the MOLA AUV, a new powerful and portable underwater robot. Image: Lori Eanes © Monterey Bay Aquarium

The MOLA AUV—multimodality, observing, low-cost, agile autonomous underwater vehicle—features advanced sensors to survey marine ecosystems. MBARI engineers hope the broader marine science community will benefit from the MOLA AUV’s open-source design specifications and software algorithms. MBARI envisions a fleet of nimble robots gathering data to help guide decision-making about the ocean and its resources.

“The ocean is critical for all life on earth,” said Principal Engineer Giancarlo Troni, who leads MBARI’s Control, Modeling, and Perception of Autonomous Systems Laboratory, known as the CoMPAS Lab. “We urgently need to understand our changing ocean, but there are many barriers to ocean exploration. MBARI has been developing a versatile and portable robot that is capable of taking high-resolution measurements of seafloor terrain over large areas. We hope this tool expands access to and monitoring of ocean life and ecosystems.”

MBARI scientists and engineers build and adapt advanced technology that enhances ocean data collection. The team at MBARI’s CoMPAS Lab develops scalable marine technology that can easily be modified for use in a wide variety of vehicles and platforms. These open-source, scalable tools allow MBARI to share its expertise with other marine scientists. 

CoMPAS Lab scientists and engineers spent 18 months developing the MOLA AUV. Measuring 45 centimeters (18 inches) wide and 72 centimeters (28 inches) long, and weighing 30 kilograms (66 pounds), the robot is the latest of MBARI’s work to create smaller, more nimble platforms for ocean research. Robust platforms like the Dorado-class AUVs remain invaluable to MBARI’s work. However, their large size requires substantial resources for deployment. Similar to MBARI’s long-range autonomous underwater vehicle (LRAUV), the MOLA AUV can be deployed with a limited crew, either from a small boat or even from shore.

An underwater robot drifts in a large tank of water. The robot has a yellow metal cylinder surrounded by a black metal frame. The front of the robot has a glass dome camera housing and is pointed downward. In the background are gray concrete walls covered in a film of greenish-brown algae, four windows with black frames and silver metal guardrails, and two underwater lights.
The MOLA AUV operates with six degrees of freedom of movement—forward and backward, up and down, left and right, pitch, yaw, and roll—to survey complex seafloor terrain. Image: Giancarlo Troni © 2023 MBARI

At the core of the MOLA AUV is a commercially available Boxfish submersible, built to the CoMPAS Lab’s specifications and enhanced with custom instruments and sensors developed by MBARI engineers. The MOLA AUV is equipped with a 4K camera to record high-resolution video of marine life and habitats. Sonar systems use acoustics to ensure the vehicle can consistently “see” 30 meters (100 feet) ahead and work in tandem with stereo cameras that take detailed imagery of the ocean floor. Leveraging methods developed by the CoMPAS Lab, the vehicle’s six degrees of freedom enable it to move and rotate in any direction efficiently. This agility and portability set the MOLA AUV apart from other underwater vehicles and allow it to leverage software algorithms developed at MBARI to create three-dimensional photo reconstructions of seafloor environments. 

The CoMPAS Lab plans to deploy the MOLA AUV for seafloor mapping missions. Previous mapping methods used sonar mounted on ships, but the distance between the ocean surface and the seafloor resulted in low-resolution data. The MOLA AUV can travel closer to the seafloor and visualize the terrain below in much greater detail, especially in rough terrain—imagine the difference between a picture taken a mile away and an up-close shot. The higher-resolution images will enable the team to create a searchable map of the ocean floor. 

A grayscale rendering shows the data collected by an autonomous robot during a survey of the seafloor. The rendering shows a 45-degree incline perspective of a rocky reef with details of the terrain, including bumps and divots in the rock and clumps of round coral.
By combining imagery from two stereo cameras on the MOLA AUV, researchers can build a detailed map of the seafloor, revealing biological features like mounds of coral. Image: Sebastián Rodríguez © 2025 MBARI

“GPS doesn’t work underwater, which makes mapping more difficult in the ocean than on land,” said Software Engineer Kevin Barnard. “To overcome this challenge, we’re developing sensors and software that allow us to navigate through many locations and see how they all fit together. We can then use that data to return to specific sites and track changes over time.”

In November 2024, the CoMPAS Lab traveled to the Maldives to field-test the vehicle for the first time. Partnering with MBARI Senior Scientist Aaron Micallef and the University of Milano-Bicocca, members of the CoMPAS Lab spent 11 days at the Marine Research and High Education (MaRHE) Center in Magoodhoo. Located just offshore from the research center, the complex coral structure of the shallow-water reef provided an ideal environment for safely testing the technology’s mapping capabilities.

Unlike other MBARI technology, which requires complicated logistics for field expeditions outside Monterey Bay, the MOLA AUV can be transported in a checked bag, demonstrating its portability. 

During the November 2024 expedition, the MOLA AUV conducted eight dives across rugged terrain, collecting still imagery, acoustic imagery, salinity and temperature data, and 4K video. 

A robot moves along the surface of the ocean at sunset. The robot has a yellow metal cylinder at its core with a black metal frame, and a yellow cable extended offscreen to the bottom. The robot is at the bottom of the frame and has its lights on, illuminating a swath of blue water in front of it. In the background is an expanse of open water, with an orange sunset and dark clouds on the horizon.
The MOLA AUV is a versatile science platform that can be deployed and recovered from ship or shore with minimal crew. Image: Kevin Barnard © 2024 MBARI
A white wooden dhoni boat with a teal-green roof and brick-red bow drifts in open water. Seven silhouetted crew members are standing aboard the boat, leaning against the railing of the cabin and looking at the camera through open-air windows. The dhoni is in the center of the frame with blue-gray water in the foreground. In the background are an island with green trees and cloudy gray sky.
In November 2024, the CoMPAS Lab traveled to the Maldives to evaluate the MOLA AUV’s ability to navigate and map rugged reef terrain. Image: Giancarlo Troni © 2024 MBARI
A robot moves through open water. The robot has a black metal frame around a yellow metal cylinder. The front of the robot has a clear glass dome, two white headlights, and four yellow propellers. The robot is facing the camera, with a thin yellow cable extending from the robot off frame to the left. The background is bright-blue water with ripples of the ocean’s surface and a reflection of the robot at the top of the frame.
The MOLA AUV is equipped with a 4K camera, sonar system, stereo cameras, and other advanced sensors. Image: Giancarlo Troni © 2024 MBARI
Two engineers wearing navy-blue caps, glasses, and maroon t-shirts standing in the cabin of a wooden boat look at computer screens displaying data from an underwater robot. The engineer on the right holds a controller and steers the underwater robot. Four computer screens sit in black cases on a table in front of the engineers in the center of the boat. The background is the deck of the boat with open-air windows and blue ocean.
MBARI engineers designed portable controls for the MOLA AUV, which are easy to set up and operate. Image: © 2024 MBARI
Several small, brightly colored fishes swim over a coral reef. Two large mounds of pale greenish-brown coral are on the right, and jagged rocks covered in reddish-purple coralline algae are on the left. The background is an expanse of rugged greenish-brown coral, with open blue water on the horizon.
The rugged terrain of the coral reefs offshore of Magoodhoo in the Maldives offered an ideal location to test the MOLA AUV’s mapping software. Image: © 2024 MBARI
Two engineers drift at the ocean’s surface while holding an underwater robot. The engineers are wearing navy-blue rash guards with the white MBARI logo. The robot has a yellow metal cylinder surrounded by a black metal frame, black propellers, and electronics. A thin yellow cable and a thin orange cable extend out of frame to the bottom. The background is bright-blue water.
During their field test in the Maldives, MBARI engineers evaluated the MOLA AUV’s navigation and mapping algorithms. Image: Giancarlo Troni © 2024 MBARI
Two engineers speak with a group of students on the veranda of a marine research station. The engineer on the left is wearing a white shirt and navy shorts, and the engineer on the right is wearing a maroon shirt and khaki shorts. In front of the engineers is an underwater robot with a yellow metal cylinder, glass dome camera housing, and a white headlight, all surrounded by a black metal frame. Students are seated around the engineers. The veranda has a white half-wall, orange column, and orange ceiling, with open-air windows and green tropical vegetation in the background.
During their November 2024 expedition to the Maldives, MBARI engineers shared their expertise with students at the MaRHE Center. Image: Giancarlo Troni © 2024 MBARI

The team deployed the MOLA AUV from a dhoni—a small, open-air, wooden passenger boat. While testing the vehicle’s mapping capabilities, they first operated it remotely via a tether to the boat. The team then completed two autonomous missions. These dives helped MBARI engineers identify opportunities to improve the vehicle’s ability to navigate rugged terrain and currents. The goal is for the MOLA AUV to use its sensors to find a reef and begin mapping autonomously without human oversight.  

“The MOLA AUV is able to fly autonomously over flat areas, and we are building tools to navigate these reefs with more complicated terrain,” said Senior Electrical Engineer Eric Martin. “To put it another way, it’s capable of flying autonomously above the ‘forest,’ but we want it to be able to fly through the forest so it can get a clear picture of all of the complex features on the reef.”

During these dives, the CoMPAS Lab team was able to gather just as much data with the MOLA AUV as they could with some of MBARI’s larger research platforms. These are spectacular results for the vehicle’s first field test and a testament to this small robot’s robust capabilities. 

The information the team collected will be instrumental in continuing to test and develop this powerful and portable robot.

Two engineers adjusting electronics on an underwater robot in the lab. The engineer on the left is wearing glasses and a fuzzy blue hooded fleece sweatshirt. The engineer on the right is wearing glasses and a long-sleeved shirt with a blue, red, and gray plaid print. The robot in the foreground has a black metal frame surrounding a yellow metal cylinder with brightly colored cables extending from the left side. The background is a white laboratory with shelves of engineering equipment.
Engineers in MBARI’s CoMPAS Lab continue to develop new hardware and software for the MOLA AUV. Image: Giancarlo Troni © 2024 MBARI

Now, the CoMPAS Lab is growing its fleet of MOLA AUVs. MBARI engineers are currently working to outfit a second vehicle with an expanded diving range of 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), double that of the original MOLA AUV.

The MOLA AUV is just one example of the versatile ocean exploration technology that the CoMPAS Lab is developing. The MOLA AUV’s sensors are designed to be scaled and used in other vehicles and platforms. For example, the destination and navigation code is the same software programming used in MBARI’s MiniROV. Over time, MBARI plans to make the MOLA platform open-source. This will make all the information about the vehicle’s hardware and software available to the public, allowing other interested parties to adapt this technology for their own uses. With open-source technology, the CoMPAS Lab aims to make ocean exploration and science more accessible.

“The ocean is enormous. One robot out there collecting data won’t make a huge difference, but we’re hoping that by developing a portable, agile, cost-effective platform—and making the engineering behind the scenes accessible to all—we can enable better science because more people will be able to do it,” said Research Engineer Sebastián Rodríguez. 

Development of the MOLA AUV was funded as part of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation’s longtime support of MBARI’s work to advance marine science and technology to understand a changing ocean. Fieldwork in the Maldives was partially supported by the BridgET Program and the MaRHE center, bringing together researchers from the University of Milano-Bicocca, the University of Athens, The Arctic University of Norway, Kiel University, the University of Malta, and the University of Liège.

Story by Science Communication Associate Lila Luthy

For additional information or images relating to this article, please email pressroom@mbari.org.

MBARI Team

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