The Autonomous Robotic Vehicle Project (ARVP) was founded in 1997 as a means for students at the University of Alberta to develop, apply and promote technologies related to the field of robotics. Members of the ARVP are interdisciplinary and come from various backgrounds and faculties such as the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Computing Science. Through the ARVP, these students gain the necessary skills and technical understanding of the different processes involved in the design, construction and testing of autonomous vehicles in order prepare them for a possible career in the field of robotic systems.
From 1997 to 2006, the ARVP was involved exclusively with ground-based autonomous vehicles and had many great successes. Since then, the ARVP has shifted its focus to underwater based autonomous vehicles. This year, ARVP accepted the challenge put forth by the 16th International RoboSub Competition, hosted by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and the Office of Naval Research (ONR). More information can be found here.
This year, the team will be entering the competition with a brand new robot named Aqua URSA. This is a brand new platform for the 2012-2013 competition.
