An innovative robotic submarine from CSIRO is set to transform environmental monitoring by dramatically reducing the cost of data collection.

CSIRO's Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Starbug, has won an Australian Engineering Excellence Award at the Australian Institute of Engineers Engineering Excellence Awards 2006.

Developed by the CSIRO ICT Centre at its Queensland laboratory, Starbug is an autonomous, miniature submarine for underwater monitoring and surveying of ecosystems such as the Great Barrier Reef.

Dr Matthew Dunbabin, leader of the team that developed Starbug, says: "Our vision is for low-cost platforms like Starbug to be deployed in large numbers to greatly improve data collection rates so that reef research can leap ahead."

Starbug represents a radical new design philosophy which has resulted in a vehicle that is small enough to be operated by one person from the shore, floating platforms or small boats without the need for cranes and other specialised equipment.

One of the great challenges for researchers investigating the Great Barrier Reef is to monitor the reef over large areas. The more data that can be collected, the more scientists can learn about factors that threaten or contribute to the Reef's health.

Currently this research is undertaken by divers, who can only spend limited time under water and who often work from research vessels which are expensive to operate. Existing research submarines are power hungry and expensive to build and operate, and need to be tethered to a vessel so they are not lost.

Starbug is one of the first AUVs in the world designed specifically with vision as the primary sensor for navigation and control. This means it does not need to be tethered and does not need an operator.

"We chose vision for the navigation system due to its relatively low cost and its suitability for use in clear water, terrain-rich, reef environments. Furthermore, as marine researchers often need to acquire images, the same sensor can be used for navigation and image collection," says Dr Dunbabin.

"We are currently developing systems to allow Starbug to identify marine pests such as crown-of-thorns starfish based on their shape and texture. This will make it possible to accurately monitor population changes and design strategies for managing them."