MARIS: A national project on marine robotics for interventions

The MARIS project arises as initiative of four Departments of Universities which are members of the Inter-University Centre ISME ('Integrated Systems for the Marine Environment'), legally represented by the University of Genoa, and the research unit of Genoa of CNR-ISSIA ('Institute for Studies on Intelligent Systems for Automation?) of the National Council of Research of Italy, with headquarter in Bari. The two institutions qualify for their long-term research experience in the application of ICT to the marine environment, with particular interests directed toward Underwater Robotics, intended in all its methodological, technological and applicative aspects. The initial research consortium has been then enriched by the inclusion of two additional University Departments, which have selected for the highly qualified contributions they can provide to the MARIS project. In this framework, the proposing institutions ISME and CNR-ISSIA have established, as general strategic objective of the project, the one of studying, developing and integrating, technologies and methodologies enabling the development of underwater robotized systems employable for manipulation and transportation activities; within underwater scenarios which are deemed progressively becoming typical for the off-shore industry, for search-and-rescue operations, as well as for underwater scientific missions. Within such ambitious objective, the proposing institutions also intend to demonstrate the achievable operational capabilities, in a proof-of-concept form, by also integrating the results within prototype experimental systems. In fact, on the basis of the knowledge and experiences owned by the consortium; of its available logistic structures, laboratories and equipment; as well on the basis of already available advanced-stage designs for the experimental systems; the consortium is confident on the possibility of coordinately develop all the necessary technological and methodological aspects; while also converging toward their final integration on the mentioned prototype systems; to be in parallel realized; starting from the sub-systems and advanced-stage.