Chair
Prof Blair Thornton- University of Southampton (adjunct University of Tokyo)
Professor of Marine Autonomy at Southampton, UK, with an adjunct post at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Japan. Blair has over 20 years of international research experience developing autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), sensors and algorithms for data interpretation. During this time he has spent over 500 days at sea fielding system his team have developed.
Technical Co-Chairs
Alexander Phillips - National Oceanography Centre
Head of the Marine Autonomous and Robotic Systems (MARS) Group at the UK’s National Oceanography Centre. His multi-disciplinary research team conducts remote operations, research and development into marine robotics and associated technologies for marine science applications. He oversees a portfolio of projects aligned to the delivery of NERC’s marine facility programme.
Yvan Petillot Herriot Watt University
Professor of Robotics and Autonomous Systems at Heriot-Watt University, specialising in robotics and sensing and is an expert in autonomous systems, image analysis and control applied to the maritime domain. He is particularly interested in developing autonomous robots that can be remotely supervised from shore and operate for long periods offshore. These technologies are essential to the energy transition to net-zero.
Sara Bernardini - Oxford University
Professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford and a Tutorial Fellow at Mansfield’s College. Sara’s research is in Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically decision-making for intelligent autonomous systems (e.g. ground robots, drones, and underwater vehicles). She is a world-leading expert in automated planning, which involves equipping artificial agents with the ability to synthesise plans to reach specific goals.
Nick Townsend - University of Southampton
Associate Professor at the University of Southampton’s Maritime Engineering Group, his research focuses on renewable energy scavenging systems to enhance the efficiency of marine craft and robotic systems. By harnessing ocean energy, Nick aims to develop next-generation, low-emission maritime vehicles and robotic systems.
Yogang Singh - Publication Chair - Sheffield Hallam University
Yogang’s research focuses on advancing Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) through cutting-edge innovations in path planning, multi-robot coordination, and dynamic control. His expertise spans the mechanical design and control of marine robots, emphasizing robust navigation, path planning, and industry 4.0 principles integration to enhance autonomous marine system capabilities.
Support Team
Sue Brindle – Secretariat / Treasurer -University of Southampton
Sue has many years’ experience of working at the University, serving the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research for over 30 years prior to joining the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute.
Ian Folger – Symposium Manager - National Oceanography Centre
Centre Ian has a huge wealth of event management and development experience spanning many years. Working across academia, Hospitality, Public and Private Sector. Event Managing for the NOC for the past 10 years
For queries or questions regarding AUV 2026 please contact a member of the team auv2026@soton.ac.uk. Thank you.