Underwater glider custom payload for long-term radioactivity measurements

The RAMONES project addresses rising concerns about marine radioactivity through innovative instruments, incorporating autonomous underwater gliders equipped with custom payload for long-term and continuous radioactivity measurements. Hardware modifications involve integrating a radioactivity sensor, a USBL/ modem for precise positioning and navigation, and a single-board processing unit for logging and control. Payload data and glider are controlled using the ROS framework, which incorporates adaptive planning and decision algorithms, enabling real-time mission re-planning underwater. Chip-scale atomic clocks allow for minimizing USBL energy consumption through a new silent interrogation scheme. Successful initial field tests in a lake verified glider dynamics and acoustic communication, paving the way for open-sea trials.