West Bend Resident SURFs (Underwater) at Michigan Tech

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Brian Page tests his underwater glider as part of his Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

HOUGHTON, MI (08/15/2013)(readMedia)-- Through Michigan Technological University' Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), third-year mechanical engineering student Brian Page is developing two autonomous underwater gliders.

"The smaller glider will primarily be used for education-sort of an inspiration for younger kids," says Page. "It might also be used by undergraduate and graduate students here at Tech who are researching control systems."

A larger glider has applications in naval surveillance, as well as measuring water characteristics such as depth and salinity. Both of the gliders use changes in buoyancy and a small battery-operated water pump to propel themselves.

"In addition to environmental monitoring, underwater gliders are increasingly depended on for littoral surveillance and other military applications," says Nina Mahmoudian, assistant professor of mechanical engineering–engineering mechanics and Page's mentor. "The Navy is operating these gliders to rapidly assess and exploit environmental characteristics to improve the maneuvering of ships and submarines."

While in the water, the gliders use sensors to monitor water current and depth to find the best route to their programmed target. The gliders are also equipped with sonar to detect obstacles in the water so that they can safely navigate around them.

"We are developing a framework for controlling gliders in harsh, dynamic environments and advancing efficient, collaborative behavior of autonomous underwater vehicles," explains Mahmoudian.

The ultimate goal of the research is to create an entire fleet of gliders that would work together as a swarm. This would enable the gliders to accomplish tasks more quickly and over a larger area. However, Page's main focus for this summer is redesigning a glider and optimizing its cost.

"I'm redesigning it to be more user-friendly," says Page. "The parts for the new design will be made using a 3-D printer, and the glider will be easier to assemble."

Working on the gliders is Page's first research experience, and it's given him a whole new perspective on engineering. He says that seeing the entire engineering process in action has been beneficial.

"It's given me practice with designing and coming up with new ideas to solve problems," says Page. "Working on the gliders has really shown me how things work in a lab, and how much goes into the research and development process."

Page has a co-op job lined up for next year. He is looking forward to getting a taste of industry to compare with his experience in the lab this summer.

"I'm up in the air about whether I want to stay in academia or go into industry after I graduate," he says. "I think both have their perks, and I think this will help me decide."

Page is one of 26 students at Michigan Tech who received SURF awards this summer.

Michigan Technological University (www.mtu.edu) is a leading public research university developing new technologies and preparing students to create the future for a prosperous and sustainable world. Michigan Tech offers more than 130 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering; forest resources; computing; technology; business; economics; natural, physical and environmental sciences; arts; humanities; and social sciences.