Deep impressions

The Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) market is estimated to be worth $2.3b in over the next decade and it is forecast that around 1,400 new AUVs will be built. There have been at least 630 vehicles built of all shapes and sizes depending on their application with uses in the military, scientific and oil and gas sectors already well established. The main driving forces for these new vehicles include the expense and problems of trying to find vessel time, the increasing need for long duration measurements and observations, the growing acceptance and maturity of unmanned technology and the need to remove personnel from risk.