In-water field analytical technology: Underwater mass spectrometry, mobile robots, and remote intelligence for wide and local area chemical profiling

An automated field analysis strategy for aqueous environments is proposed with the use of a mobile robot equipped with an underwater mass spectrometer aided by linked remote numerical models or natural intelligence. Intelligent search strategies were made possible through the use of numerical models, and natural intelligence was in the form of a man in the loop. The field-analysis strategy is useful for local- and wide-area in situ chemical surveying for environmental and economical tasks. The operation of chemoreceptive field underwater robots is demonstrated during two field trials, one using numerical models to aid in characterization of chemical dispersion, and the other discriminating a chemical gradient in the field. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Field Analyt Chem Technol 5: 121–130, 2001