Abstract
Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASVs) are becoming increasingly affordable and versatile, integrating a wide range of sensors for applications ranging from oceanographics to marine wildlife monitoring. However, the high cost and limited adaptability of commercial ASVs remain major barriers for many research applications, particularly in ecology. To address these challenges, we developed a low-cost, open-source, and reproducible ASV designed for multi-modal surveys. The ASV enables autonomous acoustic tracking of marine animals equipped with acoustic tags, achieving a mean spatial accuracy of 1 m (standard deviation of 1.8 m) over 4.5 h of continuous monitoring. Additionally, the ASV efficiently performs bathymetric surveys that meet Class 1 hydrographic survey standards, and photogrammetric surveys with a mean horizontal accuracy of 0.51 m and a vertical accuracy of 0.66 m (CE90 and LE90 metrics, respectively). The cost of the ASV varies between about US$2500 to US$11,000, depending on sensor configurations, making is significantly more affordable than commercial alternatives. Field validations confirm the ASV’s ability to deliver high-quality, reliable data, offering an accessible and adaptable solution for ecological and environmental monitoring.