Deep-sea Geo-referenced Video Mosaics

Seafloor imagery is an important tool for scientists engaged in quantifying geological and biological processes operating on the deep-ocean floor. Large-scale mosaics of seafloor imagery have significant advantages over individual still photographs and video footage as they are able to capture large areas while retaining sufficient resolution to identify small-scale features. However, the process of constructing a mosaic is usually limited to a single panorama or transects from still imagery, and often requires manual control by the user. The goal of this paper is to describe a methodology that allows for utilization of navigation data for robust automatic construction and geo-referencing of video mosaics. This methodology is designed specifically for the submersible Alvin, but our methodology may be modified for use with other underwater vehicles and is broadly applicable to the creation of mosaics in a variety of seafloor settings