MIT’s Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Lab was created in 1989 with the Sea Grant Program to develop capable, cost-effective autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Over the next decade, the program developed two generations of robust vehicles, christened Odyssey, which carried sonar, water quality sensors, current profilers, and other research instruments to full ocean depths. A commercial venture, Bluefin Robotics, spun off from the lab in 1997; the AUV lab continues to operate at MIT today.

This collection contains records of the development and early expeditions of Odyssey and other autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), developed by the MIT Sea Grant Program’s AUV lab. The bulk of the collection consists of technical records for Odyssey’s electronic and mechanical systems, whether in lab notebooks, systems notes and specifications, or floppy disks and other digital storage. There are similar records for some third-party systems. There are also videos and logs from some of Odyssey’s early expeditions, and a file box on the foundation of Bluefin Robotics, a commercial spin-off from the AUV program.

Title: MIT Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Lab Odyssey System records

Creator[s]: MIT Sea Grant Program

Dates: 1985-2001

Extent: 9 linear feet archives and 3 cubic feet video tapes

Language: English

Repository: MIT Museum, Hart Nautical Collection

Access: Open for research by appointment

Copyright: Some copyright restrictions may apply

Credit: Hart Nautical Collection, MIT Museum