Technical Programme

AUV2026 is a single track featuring over 40 oral presentations and 40 poster presentations alongside an industry exhibit.

There will be keynotes, a panel session, facility tours and a gala dinner.

Details of the programme will be posted here.

  • Posters: Fit a A0 portrait poster board. Printed posters should be brought to the venue.

  • Presentations: 12 minutes + 3minutes for questions. There will be a windows PC with the latest version of microsoft powerpoint and adobe PDF installed. Upload presentation before the start of your session. There will also be an HDMI input if you prefer to use your own laptop. Please coordinate with your session chair.

All authors should have been contacted by our technical committee on their presentation format. If you submitted to our Journal or Standard track, and you are unsure whether/how you will be presenting, get in touch auv2026@soton.ac.uk

    Keynotes

    Prof Gwyn Griffiths MBE

    Gwyn was Chief Technologist and founder of the Marine Autonomous and Robotic Systems group at the UK National Oceanography Centre and Professor of Underwater Systems Engineering at the University of Southampton until 2012. His involvement with the Autosub programme and AUVs began in 1989 with an assessment of the mission control requirements. Responsible primarily for strategic direction and, with the science community, creating funding opportunities, he also championed new approaches to AUV risk management. Awards include the SUT President's Award in 2010, the IEEE OES Distinguished Technical Achievement Award in 2013. He was inducted as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015. He continues to publish on the history of AUVs.

    Autosub under ice: A story of large risks, great people and great science
    The scientific case for using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) under ice to gather information on the ice itself, the water beneath, and the seabed terrain is truly compelling. It was compelling in 1989 in the scientific requirements for the embryonic Autosub AUV Programme. Today, in part due to observations already made by AUVs under ice, the case is even stronger. But so are the engineering and strategic challenges. The goals for Autosub under ice in 1989 – a 2500 km under the Filchner Ronne Ice Sheet and 5000 km across the Arctic Ocean – have not yet been met. Experience gained in an era when the technology was immature, and scientists were wary or skeptical of AUVs delivering data, remains relevant. This historical perspective covers failures as well as successes, for AUV missions, for sustained collaboration between development engineers and users, and between them and their sources of funding. Persistent presence under ice, with periodic data telemetry, is surely a must-have for global environmental science.

    Dan Hook

    Dan trained as a Naval Architect at the University of Southampton. As one of the founders of ASV Ltd he helped grow that company as a pioneer in USV/ASV development for scientific, commercial and defence applications. After selling this business to L3 Harris in 2018 he became the CTO of Ocean Infinity, helping to develop the Armada fleet of lean crewed and uncrewed assets. He was a non-executive director of the National Oceanography Centre for 6 years and seed investor in several robotics start-ups. He is currently the CEO of RAD, developing propulsion and control equipment for surface vessels.

    USVs – 25 year recap and 5 year look ahead
    An insightful review of USV development and deployment over the last 25 years and how this has led to the next 5 years of expected rapid adoption.