A review of buoyancy driven underwater gliders

In the past few years, several techniques and approaches have been developed by researchers for the ocean survey. An autonomous underwater vehicle primarily known as the glider is vastly used for oceanographic study and survey. With the help of these vehicles now it possible to have a study on the effects of pesticides, metal, biological toxins, or chemicals on the living organisms of the sea. Additionally, monitoring of threats such as biological weapons, radioactive leakage, and detection of mines is a very important parameter for keeping safety in check. Considering these parameters autonomous vehicles primarily known as glider are vastly used by oceanographers as they are relatively inexpensive, reusable, and have long mission durations. Such vehicle uses advanced sensors to perform automated monitoring and fast data acquisition. Since their inception in the 1980s, there have been considerable developments that have led to the augmentation of scientifically and commercially focused products. A comprehensive analysis of various underwater gliders and their working principle has been done here, emphasizing their architecture and working capabilities.