Automation and Autonomy for Marine Robotics

Dr. Yuanchang Liu

Marine environments remain among the most challenging domains for robotic operation. Dynamic waves, uncertain weather, limited sensing, intermittent communications, and complex hydrodynamics demand levels of robustness and intelligence beyond conventional automation.

This talk presents recent advances in automation and autonomy for marine robotic systems, with a focus on uncertainty-aware decision-making, resilient navigation, and energy-efficient operation. We explore how modern control theory, optimisation, and probabilistic inference can be integrated to enable autonomous surface and underwater vehicles to operate reliably in GPS-denied, cluttered, and all-weather conditions. Emphasis is placed on bridging the gap between classical marine autopilots and truly autonomous systems capable of perception-driven adaptation, mission-level reasoning, and long-duration deployment.

The presentation will highlight approaches for robust state estimation under sensor degradation, adaptive motion planning in dynamic maritime environments, and fault-tolerant control architectures for safety-critical missions.

Case studies from field deployments of unmanned marine vehicles demonstrate how principled uncertainty modelling enhances reliability and operational trust. By combining rigorous systems theory with real-world maritime validation, this work aims to advance the next generation of intelligent, dependable marine robotic platforms for environmental monitoring, offshore inspection, and clean energy applications.

Dr. Yuanchang Liu is an Associate Professor and Chair of Marine Research in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University College London.

Dr Liu was also the Programme Director of MSc Power Systems Engineering from 2023 - 2025. Prior to joining the department, he served as a Research Fellow in Robotic Vision and Autonomous Vehicles at the Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey.

Dr. Yuanchang Liu earned his MSc degree in Power Systems Engineering and a PhD degree in Marine Control Engineering, both from University College London in 2011 and 2016, respectively. Dr. Liu's research primarily focuses on automation and autonomy in marine, with a special emphasis on exploring technologies related to sensing, perception, and the guidance and control of intelligent and autonomous vehicles.

In recognition of his contributions, Dr. Liu was consistently featured among the World's Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University since 2022, in the field of Ocean Engineering and Aritificial Intelligence (AI). In 2023, he received the prestigeous Denny Medal, awarded by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science, and Technology (IMarEST) for his innovation in marine autonomy and automation.

Dr Liu was awarded Kan Tong Po International Fellowship 2025 from The Royal Society. Dr Liu serves on the editorial boards of several leading international journals, including Research - Science Partner Journal, Journal of Marine Engineering and Technology, and Applied Ocean Research.

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