ROVs equipped with robotic manipulators are important for completing offshore exploration and maintenance tasks requiring dexterity at depth, but impart significant operational costs due to the need for direct teleoperation by offshore crew [1]. This also presents barriers to access due to the infrastructure, training, and physical ability requirements for at-sea oceanographic research. Enabling shore-based participants to observe and control robotic sampling processes can reduce these barriers; however, the conventional direct-teleoperation approach is infeasible for remote operators due to the considerable bandwidth limitations and latency inherent in satellite communication. Thus, some degree of ROV autonomy is required to support remote operations [2].
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