Policy recommendations for autonomous underwater vehicle operations through hybrid fuzzy system

The advancement of science and technology has resulted in an emerging trend in the use of autonomous equipment in many maritime universities. One such example is the use of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) for marine research. However, a key challenge lies in preventing loss of the AUV during deployment. To better control this risk of loss, a new form of hybrid fuzzy system dynamics risk analysis (FuSDRA) is proposed. The three-step framework was demonstrated by a case study, analysing how reducing government support and increasing technological obsolescence can impact the long-term risk of AUV loss. Both results showed increase in risk of loss after 7 years into the AUV program and a synergistic combined effect when compared to a base scenario. A suite of risk control policy recommendations was proposed based on these results. Lastly, broader applications of the framework to other autonomous equipment is proposed.