Towards the design of a sensorized hybrid end effector for underwater operations

Abstract

The use of underwater vehicles equipped with manipulator arms is gaining popularity each year as a safer alternative to performing tasks that pose significant risks to divers. However, in marine sciences, many existing manipulator arms are heavy, costly, and poorly suited to the specific needs of marine biologists. This paper is a continuation of the proposal for a versatile, modular and affordable manipulator presented in a previous paper [1]. In summary, the current contribution focuses on the development of an end effector designed to meet the challenges of collecting samples of marine organisms using underwater vehicles.