CprE 288 Section 7

Group: Underwater Mappers S7-PG1

Group Members: Amick, Blattner, Johnson, Lakomek, Miller, Moretina

Underwater Mapping Vehicle

Table of Contents
Problem Statement .................................................................................................................. 2
Empathy Map............................................................................................................................ 2
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association Scientists...................................................... 2
Seabed Infrastructure ............................................................................................................. 3
Point of View Statements ........................................................................................................ 4
Application Narrative ............................................................................................................... 4
Test floor Visualization ............................................................................................................ 5
Mapping Test Field Elements .................................................................................................. 5
Big Picture Visualization Summary ........................................................................................ 6
User-Centered Sketch.............................................................................................................. 6
Lotus Blossom Sketch ............................................................................................................ 8
Base Functionality ................................................................................................................... 8
CyBot Capabilities ................................................................................................................... 9
User Research .........................................................................................................................10
Collaboration ...........................................................................................................................11
Citations ..................................................................................................................................13
Problem Statement
The deep ocean floor is an unknown territory. It is home to many living organisms and habitats
that are essential to continuing life on this planet. However, the deep ocean floor is much more
than just a home to sea creatures. It is a prime location of seabed infrastructure, deep sea
mining, and the base of energy sources. Seabed infrastructure is used for offshore mining and
wind turbines. These structures must be structurally sound into the ocean floor. However,
without sufficient assessment of the terrain on the ocean floor, it is possible that the majority of
the living environment can be destroyed from this human action. Because of this, a robot that
reveals the environment and impact assessment of the sea floor before, during, and after the
insertion of seabed infrastructure is vital to the survival of the habitats. The data of what is on
the seabed floor and how the environment is responding to the construction of the devices is
necessary to ensure the tasks are complete ethically and efficiently. The data from this
underwater mapping vehicle would then be given back to the researcher’s computer and intense
assessment can be determined from there.

Empathy Map

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association Scientists

Do
- Research the ocean floor to determine
composition of habitats and creatures
that are located there
- Measure the quality of life within the
ocean seabed before and after
insertion of seabed infrastructure
- Protect vulnerable habitats by
ensuring the seabed infrastructure
does not impede on their safety
- Compare and contrast the effect that
the ocean, its wind, and the tide affect
earth’s climate
Think
- If it were more clear on what exactly is
underwater on the seafloor, we could
better understand and protect the
ocean habitats
- Climate change can be combat with
better knowledge of how to ocean, its
tide, and the currents affect the
climate daily
- There are so many unknowns in the
deep sea that having seabed mapping
could greatly improve scientific
knowledge and discoveries.

Say
- “Knowing the level of health within
each habitat will better help conserve
and protect the organisms living there”
- “If I knew the terrain of the underwater
ecosystem, I could better create a
plan to protect the ecosystems.”
- “Earth’s climate is greatly affected by
the ocean.”
- “There are so many unknowns in the
Feel
- Curious as to what truly exists on the
seafloor and how the ocean’s currents
and tide are affecting the climate
overall.
- Excited to help work to protect the
marine wildlife
- Intrigued in the possibility of further
scientific discoveries in accordance
with the ocean and what is found

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 ocean that understanding in depth the
terrain and organisms within the
habitat will lead to future scientific
discoveries.”
Seabed Infrastructure
Do
- Implement seabed infrastructure to
assist with ocean mining and
renewable energy creation
- Research how to ethically insert
infrastructures into the ocean seabed
- Plan and map out the locations to
place the wind turbine bases,
electrical cables, and mining
equipment
- Collaborate with the construction,
mining, and renewable energy
company to ensure the materials that
are created are transported and used
in the correct manner
Say
- “What devices need to be built into the
seafloor to complete extraction of
mining and obtain electricity from
turbines?”
- “What will our devices do to the
habitats in the ocean?”
- I want to place the machines in
locations that maximize production.
- “How can I use the sea mapping
device to ensure that my needs are
met and the habitat is still protected?”
while seabed mapping.
- Concerned as to what they might find
while mapping the seafloor, such as
dying habitats or unprotected
organisms.
Think
- If I knew exactly what was located on
the ocean seabed and where I could
maximize my output by putting the
mining and electrical equipment in the
best position.
- I wish I could protect the sea
environment but also make the earth
cleaner by implementing more wind
energy.
- My goal is to embed the equipment’s
infrastructure into the seabed floor but
I need a map of what is located down
there to do it.
- I am motivated by increasing wind
energy supply and providing more
deep sea coal mining locations.
Feel
- Nervous about how their equipment in
the seabed will affect the natural
habitat that is already located there.
- Optimistic that they can successfully
increase the wind energy supply and
ocean mining output while protecting
the marine environment
- Frightened of what is unknown on the
ocean floor and the negative affect the
seabed infrastructure could have on
the environment.
- Determined to obtain proper
assessment pre and post construction
of infrastructures.
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Point of View Statements
- A NOAA scientist needs information about the currents on the ocean floor to determine
how the currents affect the earth’s climate
- A NOAA scientist needs information mapped about the organisms living on the seabeds
and their conditions because they need to plan on how to implement new technologies
and guidelines to ensure the health and safety of the marine environment.
- A NOAA scientist needs in depth evaluation of the terrain, organisms, and weather on
the pecan seabed because further scientific discoveries need to be made to know more
about how the ocean and earth as a whole function as one.
- An oil extraction company needs information about the terrain their machine will be in
because they need to ensure it will be stable and produce enough oil.
- A ship captain needs a map of where the seabed infrastructures are located because
they need to navigate around the machines to ensure nothing gets hit.
- Offshore wind turbine owners need to know how their machine will affect the
environment it is put in because they must weigh the costs and gains when deciding
where to implement new turbines.
- Researchers need to know what is on the seabed because they need to complete
intense environmental assessments before the implementation of any seabed
infrastructure to ensure the safety of the marine environment.

Application Narrative
It is unknown what could exist at the bottom of the ocean with our current maps, and it
is vital to find out more for conservation and seabed infrastructure. The ocean influences so
many parts of our Earth that humans would greatly benefit from understanding. From medical
research on deep sea fish to climate change, marine habitats could change our world
significantly and researchers want to know what exists without destroying what currently lives
there. Human’s can use the ocean for resource mining and offshore wind projects, but neither
can be done without substantial environmental impact studies that start with learning what exists
in the ocean. It is also probable that there are rare or vulnerable habitats going unknown due to
the portion of our currently mapped ocean being so small.
Mapping of the ocean floor can be used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Association (NOAA) and other marine life researchers or by contractors creating seabed
infrastructure due to the applications being so vast. Since humans cannot go to the deep sea
due to the pressure changes, it will be done the easiest with a semi-autonomous robot. The
main functionality for this project is to map the bottom of the ocean floor without harming any
existing wildlife by harshly running into it. The Cybot will be dropped to the ocean floor and take
scans of what is out there which will be returned to the user and mapped accordingly. This will
all be done without hitting anything but small rocks on the seabed in order to maintain current
habitats. Also, since the ocean floor cannot be mapped at once, mapping will be done by strict
zones so there will not be any overlapping data. After the Cybot is done mapping, it will be
picked up at its destination zone so the hardware can charge and any data can be used.

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Test floor Visualization
This image is to help visualize our solution to mapping the seafloor.

Mapping Test Field Elements

Basic Objects and Other Elements Mapping to AV Application Test Field

Tall Skinny Objects Thin coral wildlife, anemones

Tall Wide Objects Large rocks, large thick coral

Short Objects Small rocks and debris

Holes Sinkholes and blue holes

Pillars Coral, large objects, similar to tall objects

Out of bounds Leaving the mapping zone

Destination Zone Users destination input, where the bot will be

picked up by an underwater vehicle

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Big Picture Visualization Summary
As you can see there are 4 events that are shown in this image each labeled from 1 to 4
these are all things our test bot should be able to do before moving on to large scale
deployment. Event 1 is small object detection, these hazards which could lead to the CyBot
being stalled and not able to complete its scan could be anything from small rocks or even sea
life. Event 2 is bound area detection. Should the CyBot leave the area we are trying to scan it
could result in the loss of connection or invalid scanning data. Event 3 is large object detection.
This is for things such as larger rocks or overhangs which could damage the robot itself or its
sensing equipment. Event 4 is the CyBot finishing its scan inside the goal zone. This is one of
the most important steps because should the robot not return to the ending area we would not
only lose the valuable information it collected but also the robot itself.

User-Centered Sketch

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Technical Diagram

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Lotus Blossom Sketch

Base Functionality

Base Functionality Mapping to Application Narrative (needs statements)

Cybot Communication The user (scientist/researcher) needs to communicate with the cybot
in order to receive the information about the terrain and organisms
within the marine landscape. In order to make an in-depth analysis
and assessment, the user needs to communicate and receive the
information taken in by the cyBbt.

Cybot Movement The cybot needs to scan and move around the sea terrain because it
needs to collect data and determine a few different things. It needs to
determine if any obstacles that may interfere with the potential
seabed infrastructures or analyze the condition the seascape is in.

Object Detection The sea mapping device needs to detect where objects are because

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 it needs to report back to the users where parts of the terrain are,
where certain organisms typically live, and where the ideal places to
just seabed infrastructures are.

Object Avoidance The scientists need the mapping system to avoid objects because it
is mapping the terrain for implementation of seabed infrastructure.
When the scientists are designing the machines and decide where to
locate them, they need to ensure that they are avoiding any tall
rocks, coral, or other objects within the seascape.

Boundary Adherence The researchers need to make sure that the cybot is not swept away
by the current outside the research area and do not scan objects
outside the specified area.

Arrival at Destination The scientists and researchers need to know when the cyBot
reaches the destination because there must be a known time and
location where the individuals can pick the bot up from underwater to
take back to the surface, charge, and collect the data.

User Interface The user inference will be used by the users to interact with the putty
to return information about what the seabed device is seeing in the
terrain. The scientists will use this because they need to understand
and analyze the data that the device picks up from the ocean floor.
Additionally scientists need to make sure the cybot is not lost or has
any problems.

CyBot Capabilities

Base Capabilities Types Default Usage Project Usage

Open interface Robot movement Cybot Movement

Interrupts Ping sensor Distance Measurement

WiFi-UART Cybot communication Returning Mapping Information

Analog to digital converter Infrared Sensor Object Detection

Input Capture Ping sensor Distance Measurement

Pulse Wave Generation Servo Motor Scanning Objects in Field

Cybot sound Makes sound Produces sound to scare off fish

GUI User interface Graphs objects within area

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User Research
- NOAA scientists
- Maps the ocean floor for research for underwater ecosystems
- [1]
- Measures health of coral reef and other wildlife
- Used for conservation
- Learning about fish habitats
- [2]
- Understanding composition of marine habitats
- Identification of vulnerable or rare habitats
- Not safe for humans to do because of pressure changes
- [3]
- Figuring out how our ocean impacts the Earth’s overall climate
- Sea level rise
- Tsunami wave propagation
- Climate change
- Tides
- “The ocean’s current help control our weather and climate, and are
changing due to climate change”[3]
- Having a better understanding of the ocean’s current on the ocean floor
can help better predict where climate change will most greatly occur in
the future
- Effective for future scientific discoveries
- Seabed Infrastructure (Companies for this? Contractors?)
- Ethically creating seabed infrastructure
- [4]
- Oil, gas, and mineral exploration and extraction are moving further
offshore which creates the need for seabed infrastructure
- There’s no way infrastructure can be put in place without risking the
health of marine life if it isn’t known what’s out there
- Ensures ships will safely maneuver around wildlife and human made
structures
- [5]
- The majority of offshore wind is in deep waters (even buoyes need to be
tethered to the bottom of the ocean)
- Offshore wind is becoming more popular with the need for sustainable
energy and resources are abundant and reliable
- The base of the turbine will be at the ocean floor
- Electricity is transported through undersea cables buried in the sea floor
- [6]
- Growing field that consists of extracting minerals from the ocean floor and
continental shelves
- As of now, limited to shallow waters
- Deep sea mining’s impact on our planet’s health is currently unproven

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 - Hard to know impact if you don’t know what exists
- Proper impact assessments must be taken to determine if this is even
possible
- Could destroy deep sea habitats
- Some deep sea creatures could be used for research in medicine,
protective gear, etc. due to their ability to adapt without sunlight and high
pressure
- Must have intense environmental assessment before mining can occur

Collaboration

Katherine I worked on user research finding who would want an ocean mapping
Moretina vehicle and why. I found sources on the types of users and applications
and created the application narrative based on my research and Maddy’s
empathy charts and point of view statements. I also did citations for the
articles and videos I found.

Madison I worked on the problem statement, empathy charts, and point of view
Lakomek statements.As a group we decided that we would do a seabed mapping
robot device. I then used the research that Katie conducted to create a
final problem statement and put together how each of the audiences will
use the device and how it will be helpful to solving the ocean mapping and
seabed infrastructure. I also completed the base functionality chart that
maps the CyBot’s functionality with the application narrative. I also created
the lotus blossom sketch

Benjamin Amick I worked on creating the large scale design problem from the problem
statements and empathy charts as well as the view statements. I used the
research done by Katherine and the base functionality done by Madison to
read about what kinds of hazards and constraints our bot should be able
to complete at a bare minimum. I also completed the visualization
summary to help better understand what my image is describing and what
our prototype should be able to do.

Vaughn Miller I worked on creating the user-focused sketch outlining how our solution
would look visually in the context of the use case for the cybot. I used the
research done by Katie and the narrative to generate a fairly simple and
easy-to-understand visual depiction that still highlighted the purpose of the
project. I also completed the technical diagram in the form of a combined
flowchart and cybot diagram that mapped specific functions to each of the
components, and showed the order in which the components would carry
out their tasks.

Tyler Johnson I was added to the group after the initial proposal was complete therefore
I worked on adding details to the narrative and to the empathy charts and
overall editing of the document.

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Dylan Blattner I was added to the group after the initial proposal was complete, I worked
on the editing and proofreading of the proposal

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Citations
[1] National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2021. Mapping the Seafloor, Making Waves:
Episode 131. [video] Available at: <https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast/may15/mw131-
mapping.html> [Accessed 1 November 2021].
[2] Proudfoot, B., Devillers, R. and Brown, C., 2020. Seafloor mapping to support conservation planning
in an ecologically unique fjord in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. [online] Springer. Available at:
<https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11852-020-00746-8#citeas> [Accessed 1 November
2021].
[3] Campbell, M., 2020. Plans to map the entire ocean floor by 2030 are off to a great start. [online]
EuroNews. Available at: <https://www.euronews.com/green/2020/11/20/a-fifth-of-the-world-s-ocean-
floor-has-now-been-mapped> [Accessed 2 November 2021].
[4] Ocean Explorer. 2020. Why Map the Seafloor? To Keep Us—and Natural Resources—Safe. [online]
Available at: <https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/world-oceans-day-2015/why-map-the-seafloor-to-
keep-us-and-natural-resources-safe.html#navigation-jump> [Accessed 2 November 2021].
[5] Hartman, L., 2021. Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Offshore Wind Energy. [online] Energy.
Available at: <https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/articles/top-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-
offshore-wind-energy> [Accessed 2 November 2021].
[6] The Ocean Foundation. 2021. Seabed Mining. [online] Available at: <https://oceanfdn.org/seabed-
mining/> [Accessed 2 November 2021].

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