Acoustic detection performance of gliding robotic fish in Higgins Lake, Michigan, USA, 2016-2018

An acoustic telemetry receiver was mounted on a gliding robotic fish, a novel type of autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) during a series of field trials in a freshwater lake. Like underwater gliders, gliding robotic fish (dubbed GRACE, for Gliding-Robot-ACE) achieve locomotion primarily through buoyancy-driven gliding or spiraling. They are also equipped with an active tail fin that can provide extra propulsion (e.g., “swimming” against current), act as a rudder to improve steering during glide/spiral, and improve maneuverability via asymmetrical flapping (e.g., tight turns on the surface or during gliding). Consequently, gliding robotic fish combine the energy-efficient nature of underwater gliders with the high-maneuverability of robotic fish (a type of bio-inspired surface robots) and hence hold great potential in long-duration monitoring of a broad spectrum of aquatic environments. Data are comprised of characteristics of the receivers, transmitters, mobile platform (gliding robotic fish), and environment at time when each tag signal was emitted.