Divers and robots working together: AI-driven underwater collaboration could create safer missions
How can we make diving missions in defence, rescue and law enforcement safer and more efficient? KTH is currently leading the SHARCEX project, which aims to develop new technologies that will enable human divers and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to work together - to increase safety, precision and adaptability in extreme underwater environments.
Underwater robots assist divers in extreme environments
Underwater operations are among the most challenging tasks due to poor visibility, strong currents, extreme pressures, and communication barriers. Although AUVs are already used in research, industry, and security, they often operate independently, following pre-programmed routes without real-time adaptation. The SHARCEX (Synergistic Human-Robot Collaboration in Extreme Environments) project aims to change this by integrating advanced AI-powered AUVs that can work in direct collaboration with human divers.
-By combining AI-driven underwater robots with human expertise, we can create a more effective and safer approach to high-risk underwater operations, says Ivan Stenius, project leader at KTH.
The technology behind
At the heart of this project lies the transformation of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) into intelligent, adaptive systems capable of carrying out complex missions in dynamic and often unpredictable marine environments. This evolution is being driven by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, which are enabling AUVs to perceive, reason, and interact with their surroundings in increasingly sophisticated ways.
The project focuses on integrating a suite of AI technologies that collectively enhance autonomy, safety, and human-robot collaboration. These include advanced computer vision, situational awareness, safe reinforcement learning, embedded language models for diver interaction, and simulation-to-reality transfer methods. Together, these technologies are laying the foundation for the next generation of underwater robotic systems—capable of operating effectively in both research and real-world operational contexts.
A collaborative effort
The SHARCEX project is led by KTH Royal Institute of Technology, in collaboration with FMV (Swedish Defence Materiel Administration) and Saab.
The project is part of the Industrial Innovation Programme and runs from July 2024 to July 2027 and is led by Jana Tumová, Ivan Stenius, and Dimos Dimarogonas, principal investigators at KTH.