Recent News
The Virginia DEEP-X team advanced to the final round of the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE competition after competing in the semi-final round in Panama City, FL. For more information, see the VT News announcement.
The Challenge
The Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE challenges teams to develop technology for mapping the deep ocean faster and with more autonomy than is possible with today’s systems. In the final round of the competition, participants are asked to survey 500 sq. km in 24 hours images of a specified object, and to find and image additional archaeological, biological or geological features.
Our Approach
The Virginia Distributed Environmental Exploration Project X (DEEP-X) is an innovative system for rapid surveys and opportunistic discovery in the deep ocean. The DEEP-X system is composed of a team of inexpensive autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that intelligently and collaboratively explore the deep ocean.
The Javelin AUV
Our innovative AUV design is far smaller and therefore far less expensive than any other vehicle capable of performing meaningful survey missions at 4,0000 m depth. For the first time, it is realistic to consider large teams of AUVs operating collaboratively in the deep ocean.
Remarkably, the Javelin AUV can be fabricated at a total cost of $130K, including bathymetric sonar and all professional fabrication services (e.g., foam fabrication, machine shop, etc.), but excluding student labor.
| PARAMETER | SPECIFICATION |
| Length |
2.92 m (115 inches) |
| Displacement |
139 kg (307 lbs) |
| Diameter |
33.0 cm (13 inches) |
| Endurance |
100 nm @ 3.7 knots + 24 hours @ 4 knots |
| Depth |
4000 m |
For more information on the Javelin AUV, click here.
The Team
The DEEP-X team is composed of Virginia Tech students and faculty from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Department, and the Mechanical Engineering Department.
Sponsors
We are extremely grateful for the generous contributions from the following sponsors.
Virginia Tech
Marine Sonic Technology, a brand of Atlas North America
Get Involved
Support of the DEEP-X team is an excellent opportunity for international exposure with a high ROI. Sponsors have direct access to uniquely trained students and early access to unique technology.
Contact Us
Dan Stilwell
Professor
Team lead
Virginia Tech
stilwell@vt.edu
(540) 231-3204
Karin Clark
Associate Director
LINK | Center for Advancing
Industry Partnerships
KarinClark@vt.edu
(540) 267-6598