Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) designed to hunt for underwater mines were used to discover archaeological items, finding several new artifacts off the coast of Rhode Island.

These results suggest that robotic submersibles could find many non-military applications as they become cheaper.

These AUVs scan the seafloor using sonar and magnetic sensors. Software processes the collected images, trying to differentiate mines from lobster pots and other “clutter” on the seafloor.

If something matches the profile for a mine, the AUV can go back for a closer look. The data can be downloaded when it returns to base, or it can surface and send the information via satellite link.