Browse Topic: Unmanned underwater and surface vehicles

Items (32)

Ascertainment of Optimized Profile of Hybrid Vortex Bladeless Turbine for Unmanned Surface Vehicles Using Progressive Computational Studies

2025-28-0185

02/07/2025

This work addresses an innovative method for improving energy harvesting in Bladeless wind turbines (BWT) by implementing profile modifications to the wind turbine for fixing it in Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV). The streamlined flow undergoes a transformation and generates a vortex in the vicinity of the structure when the wind impacts the BWT. As the velocity increases, the wind strikes the structure with greater force, resulting in an imbalance that causes the structure to vibrate. To convert this vibrational energy of the wind turbine into electrical energy, the research investigates the use of a variety of profile modifications to capitalize on the aerodynamic effect generated by the structure. The entire cylindrical shape is altered to tapered shape, airfoil shapes with coordinates such as NACA 0012, 0015, 0018, 4412 and 4420. In addition to these shapes, hybrid models were also constructed by merging models made from two airfoil coordinates, including NACA 0018 & 4412, NACA

Veeraperumal Senthil Nathan, Janani Priyadharshini, Rajendran, Mahendran, Arumugam, Manikandan, Raji, Arul Prakash, Sakthivel, Pradesh, Stanislaus Arputharaj, Beena, L, Natrayan, Ganesan, Balaji, Raja, Vijayanandh

Computational Evaluations of Structural Integrity in Unmanned Aquatic Vehicles Utilizing Various Conventional and Hybrid Composites Using Hydro-Structural Analyses

2025-28-0056

02/07/2025

This study focuses on developing and deploying an Unmanned Aquatic Vehicle (UAV) capable of underwater travel. The primary objectives of this project are to detect the presence of dimethyl sulfide and toluene, as well as to identify any potential oil leakage in underwater pipelines. The UAV has a maximum operating depth of 300 m below the water surface. The design of this UAV is derived from the natural design of Rhinaancylostoma, an underwater kind of fish. The maximum operational setting for this mission is fixed at a depth of approximately 300 m beneath the surface of the sea, and the choice of this species is suitable for fulfilling the objectives of this undertaking. This technology will mitigate the risk associated with human interaction in inspection processes and has the potential to encompass various other resources in the future. The initial design data of the UAV is determined using analytical processes and verified formulas. The selection of the airfoil is done by comparing

Veeraperumal Senthil Nathan, Janani Priyadharshini, Rajendran, Mahendran, Arumugam, Manikandan, Raji, Arul Prakash, Sakthivel, Pradesh, Madasamy, Senthil Kumar, Stanislaus Arputharaj, Beena, L, Natrayan, Raja, Vijayanandh

Innovative Design and Comprehensive Computational Investigations on the Performance Enhancement of Advanced Horizontal Axis Turbines for Unmanned Marine Vehicles

2025-28-0188

02/07/2025

The integration of advanced horizontal axis turbines (HATs) into unmanned marine vehicles (UMVs) significantly enhances their operational efficiency by providing power sources. These vehicles, designed for diverse applications, require efficient power systems to operate autonomously over extended periods. The major disadvantages are limited battery life and energy storage capabilities that restrict the operational range and endurance of the UMVs. Utilizing HATs in UMVs provides a renewable energy source, reducing operational costs. This continuous power supply enhances mission capabilities and promotes energy independence, making them ideal for long-term missions. Thus, using Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models, hydrodynamic and aerodynamic analyses were carried out. For the hydrodynamic scenario, a velocity of 10 m/s and for the aerodynamic case, 27.7778 m/s, were taken into consideration. It is concluded that the UMV with Stepped HAT modification can be effectively employed for

Gunasekaran, Durga Devi, Kannan, Haridharan, Sourirajan, Laxana, Vinayagam, Gopinath, Gnanasekaran, Raj Kumar, Kulandaiyappan, Naveen Kumar, Stanislaus Arputharaj, Beena, L, Natrayan, Raja, Vijayanandh

Enabling Off-the-Shelf Autonomous Naval Warfare

TBMG-52134

12/01/2024

Northrop Grumman San Diego, CA jacqueline.rainey@ngc.com

SAE TOMORROW TODAY: Has Amelia Earhart's Aircraft Been Found?

1346106/21/2024

Sonar data from a deep sea drone recently shed light on one of aviation's most enduring mysteries: the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. By pursuing the missing aircraft using the "Date Line theory," Deep Sea Vision, a South Carolina-based marine robotics firm, searched across 5,200 square miles of the Pacific Ocean floor, more than all previous searches combined. Equipped with a modified version of the company's flagship HUGIN 6000 commercial autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), the DSV team discovered an image which mirrors the unique dual tails and scale of Earhart's aircraft. To learn more about this intriguing technology and what's next when it comes to verifying this discovery, we sat down with Tony Romeo, CEO, Deep Sea Vision. Listen in as he shares his unique background, the power of his company's AUV technology, and what's next for the future of underwater exploration.

Hineman, Marcie

JAUS Mobility Service Set

AS6009A (Current)

10/06/2023

This document defines a set of standard application layer interfaces called JAUS Mobility Services. JAUS Services provide the means for software entities in an unmanned system or system of unmanned systems to communicate and coordinate their activities. The Mobility Services represent the vehicle platform-independent capabilities commonly found across all domains and types of unmanned systems (referred to as UxVs). At present, over 15 services are defined in this document many of which were updated in this revision to support Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs). Some examples include: Pose Sensors: Determine the instantaneous position and orientation of a platform in global or local coordinates Velocity State Sensor: Determines the instantaneous velocity of a platform Acceleration State Sensor: Determines the instantaneous acceleration of a platform Primitive Driver: Performs basic mobility for a platform based on force/torque efforts Vector Drivers: Perform closed loop mobility for

AS-4JAUS Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems Committee

JAUS Unmanned Maritime Vehicle Service Set

AS6111 (Current)

09/28/2023

This SAE Aerospace Standard (AS) defines a set of standard application layer interfaces called JAUS UMV Services. JAUS Services provide the means for software entities in an unmanned system or system of unmanned systems to communicate and coordinate their activities. The UMV Services represent the platform-specific capabilities commonly found in UMVs and augment the Mobility Service Set (refer to AS6009) which is platform-agnostic. At present, 12 services are defined in this document. While these services are presented alphabetically within this document, they also can be logically categorized as: Platform Description Services: This service provides information about the vehicle platform, including mobility limits and geometric properties: ○ Platform Specification Service. Propulsion and Driver Services: These services provide the control and monitoring capabilities to the vehicle’s propulsion system(s). These services can be applied selectively to facilitate primitive mobility

AS-4JAUS Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems Committee

AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2023 The Blueprint for Autonomy

23AERP04_07

04/01/2023

The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) is bringing this year's XPONENTIAL 2023 to the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado. The event, which runs from May 8 - 11, will feature three days of educational programming and more than 600 exhibitors representing all aspects of the unmanned vehicle and robotics industries showcasing their latest technology to attendees from all over the world. So, what's on tap for this year's XPONENTIAL 2023? The theme for this year's XPONENTIAL is “The Blueprint for Autonomy” and AUVSI has updated the event with new features based on attendee feedback.

Making Machines Curious

22AERP12_0412/01/2022

Remote and autonomous vehicles are now helping us make discoveries in places where humans cannot easily go. A recent mission to explore marine life at the bottom of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone between Hawaii and Mexico, over 5,000 meters below the surface at its deepest point, discovered over 30 potential new species. These uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) are running missions that allow humans to make better decisions (the Clarion-Clipperton survey was conducted to assess the impact of seabed mining). They're also mapping the unknown deep sea, following a trajectory and mission instructions designed before the dive, then “flying” just a few meters off the seafloor for hours while relaying data to a ship above them. These are just two examples; vehicles can be programmed to find old sea mines buried in the ocean floor, inspect pipelines for leaks, or search for lost shipping containers.

In-situ Atmospheric Intelligence for Hybrid Power Grids: Volume 2 (Automated Data Flow Tests)

22AERP10_08

10/01/2022

To achieve battlespace dominance, energy flow characterizations of individual platforms and the aggregate battlespace must be developed to adapt and exploit the variable operating conditions. Army Research Laboratory, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico The future battlefield will be filled with multiple dissimilar energy networks including unmanned and manned vehicular platforms actively engaged in cooperative control and communications capable of overpowering an adversary and dominating the battlespace. This chaotic multi-domain operational environment will be limited by variable operating conditions (mission profiles, terrain, atmospheric conditions), copious amounts of real-time actionable intelligence derived from weapon and sensor suites, and most importantly, the energy capabilities of each platform. To achieve dominance within the battlespace, energy flow characterizations of individual platforms and the aggregate battlespace must be developed with respect to the variable

Investigation of Requirements and Capabilities of Next-Generation Mine Warfare Unmanned Underwater Vehicles

TBMG-46438

09/01/2022

The current fleet of United States Navy (USN) Mine Countermeasures (MCM) ships, the Avenger class, is reaching the end of its planned service life. To fill the capability gaps left by removing these ships from the fleet, and to take advantage of technological advances in environmental sensing and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), the Navy will be acquiring new systems to perform the MCM mission. The Department of Defense (DOD) acquisition process aims to fill capability gaps with materiel solutions through development of new or improved systems or the purchase of existing systems. Beginning the acquisition process with ample knowledge of potential materiel solutions and their expected performance improves the likelihood of program success.

Investigation of Requirements and Capabilities of Next-Generation Mine Warfare Unmanned Underwater Vehicles

22AERP09_0709/01/2022

Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) tools, including functional flow block diagrams and functional hierarchies, are used to logically define mine countermeasure (MCM) UUV operations and support the development of alternative concepts of operations. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterrey, California The current fleet of United States Navy (USN) Mine Countermeasures (MCM) ships, the Avenger class, is reaching the end of its planned service life. To fill the capability gaps left by removing these ships from the fleet, and to take advantage of technological advances in environmental sensing and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), the Navy will be acquiring new systems to perform the MCM mission. The Department of Defense (DOD) acquisition process aims to fill capability gaps with materiel solutions through development of new or improved systems or the purchase of existing systems. Beginning the acquisition process with ample knowledge of potential materiel solutions and their expected

Designing Rugged SWaP-Optimized MOSA Solutions for UUVs

21AERP05_0305/01/2021

As the U.S. Navy increases its investment in its fleet of unmanned undersea vehicles (UUV), suppliers of rugged commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) subsystems, providing solutions for mission computers, network switches and routers, and data storage are meeting the needs of these unique platforms. The Navy classifies UUV systems into four categories, based on their size and how they are launched. Small UUVs range in diameter from 3″ to 10″ and can be man portable or submarine launched. Examples of small UUVs include the Swordfish and Sandfish. Medium UUVs have a diameter of 10″ to 21″ and are surface or submarine launched. Examples of medium UUVs include the Kingfish and the Knifefish. The Knifefish UUV, which is dedicated to mine hunting, is a great example of a UUV designed for a specific purpose. Large displacement UUVs (LDUUV) range in size from 21″ to 84″ in diameter and are also launched on the surface or from a submarine.

Using Low-Frequency Broadband Sonar on UUVs

21AERP05_0205/01/2021

Experimenting in Realistic Environments Gets NewTechnology to Warfighters A number of science and technology efforts are helping to deliver new combat capability to warfighters. As the Navy's corporate laboratory, the U. S. Naval Research Lab (NRL) in Washington, D.C., conducts basic and exploratory research, all the way up to technology that transitions to the warfighter.

Underwater Drone Technology

19AERP05_0305/01/2019

Finding ways to overcome physical limitations so that humans can dive deeper and stay underwater longer has been an ongoing quest. Back in the 15th century, Leonardo Da Vinci drew sketches of a submarine and a robot. Had he thought to combine the two concepts, he would have created a prototype of an unmanned underwater vehicle, or underwater drone. Instead, the world had to wait another five hundred years. In the 1950s, in response to sea mines that would go on to destroy or damage more naval ships than all other types of attacks, the U.S. Navy began developing an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) that could dive 10,000 feet (rated depth) and function for four straight hours. In the succeeding decades, the Navy developed UUVs that could retrieve lost equipment such as torpedoes or a missing atomic bomb, save submarine crews lost at sea, or locate shipwrecks, including the Titanic. At the beginning of the 21st century, UUVs increasingly became a faster, cheaper, and safer alternative

Deploying COTS Subsystems in UUVs

17AERP05_0305/01/2017

In December, 2016 the newest class of unmanned vehicles, Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV) made international headlines after China, in an unprecedented act, seized an unclassified “ocean glider” operated by an oceanographic survey ship, the USNS Bowditch, about 50 nautical miles northwest of Subic Bay in the Philippines. According to the Pentagon, the captured UUV, which was soon returned to the US, was measuring salinity and temperature in the area. While most people have become very familiar with unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned ground vehicles, general awareness of the new class of Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMS), including UUVs and Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) has just begun. The US Navy currently deploys a variety of UMS platforms for use in mine warfare, mine neutralization, reconnaissance, surveillance, hydrographic surveying, environmental analysis, special operations, and oceanographic research missions. Ranging in size from man-portable systems to as much as 40 feet

Interoperability Standards Pave the Way for Modular Robotic Manipulators

17AERP05_0105/01/2017

Unmanned vehicles have long been used by the military to handle situations characterized by the three Ds: dull, dirty, and dangerous. As the use of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), and unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) in the military and industry becomes more complex, the need for interoperability on and between systems has exponentially increased. The U.S. Army's Interoperability Profiles (IOP) is at the forefront of this effort. IOP standardizes the software and hardware interfaces between major subsystems, such as between a robotic platform and a manipulator arm, or between a robotic platform and a controller. IOP dramatically reduces the integration effort required when introducing new capabilities, such as payloads and sensors, to robot systems. IOP also helps developers concentrate on their specific areas of expertise. Finally, it allows companies to leverage their combined strengths to create best-of-breed solutions that quickly and effortlessly

Using SWaP-C Reductions to Improve UAS/UGV Mission Capabilities

16AERP05_0105/01/2016

The defense and aerospace market continues to push for reductions in size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) to support advanced sensor/vetronics payloads onboard unmanned platforms. Ground-breaking SWaP-C reduction for processor and network switch systems are enabling UAS (unmanned aircraft system) and UGV (unmanned ground vehicle) platforms to expand their mission capabilities. Several technologies are driving this small form factor revolution, including tightly integrated system-on-chips (SoCs), semiconductor packaging advancements (i.e. smaller nanometer dies, lower voltage chips), and micro-miniature rugged connectors. The need for ever greater SWaP reductions stems largely from the balance between the small size of many unmanned platforms and the amount of payload electronics that needs to be integrated on those platforms. For the most part UGVs, UUVs, USVs, UAVs are smaller platforms, and generally speaking their mission and purpose is to serve as a sensor host for information

Applying UUV Advances to Safeguard Harbors and Littoral Waters

16AERP05_04

05/01/2016

Advances in unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) are providing government agencies and commercial organizations with new capabilities across a variety of mission requirements. However, many underwater vehicles only address specific criteria or support well-defined (and limited) niches. As an example, the Naval Sea Systems Command's (NAVSEA) Littoral Battlespace Sensing (LBS) system includes the LBS-G long-endurance glider to collect oceanographic data, but also needs the LBS-AUV for military applications.

Autonomous Underwater Munitions and Explosives of Concern Detection System

TBMG-24594

05/01/2016

The objective of Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) Project MR-201002, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) Detection System, was to integrate an untethered and unmanned underwater vehicle with a total field magnetometer for underwater munitions detection and upgrade magnetic noise compensation software to reduce interference from electrical and dynamic influences such as vehicle heading, pitch and roll.

Safe Maritime Autonomous Path Planning in a High Sea State

TBMG-22410

07/01/2015

The goal of this work was to develop algorithms and software to generate a path that takes into account the direction of waves and wind as much as possible in order to mitigate potential damage to an autonomous underwater vehicle. A risk-based path planning algorithm to analyze real-world sensory data is combined with an enhanced sea surface model to generate a safe path.

Unmanned Ground Vehicles

15AERP05_0205/01/2015

UGVs - On the Cutting Edge of Thermal Management Thermal management of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) is more complex than other electronic equipment because they have to operate in harsh environments such as humid tropical rainforests or sandy deserts where moisture as well as dust and sand can compromise the reliability of the control electronics. Regular open enclosures are certainly not an option; instead they need sealed and ruggedized enclosures to also withstand hard shocks and vibrations. Thus certain cooling methods are either out of the question or only possible with limitations. For example, in general liquid cooling it is possible to transport heat away from the component and cool it at another location with a larger surface and a better convection into the environment. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) have the advantage of a good coolant flow of either air or water. UGVs in hot desert environments drive over hot sand with the sun

Robotics

15AERP05_0405/01/2015

Connectivity in Robotic Systems While many think of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or space probes and planet rovers when they think of unmanned systems, the field of robotics covers every environment known to man: sea, ground, air, and space. Beyond UAVs, unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and unmanned surface vessels (USVs) have begun to capture headlines, primarily in the role of security and defense. Likewise, terrestrial unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) are now gaining their share of the limelight. The U.S. Navy is even experimenting with a humanoid robot (SAFFiR) to help fight shipboard fires as a first responder. Each of these unmanned systems is meant to operate in an environment and ecosystem where a machine can either augment or replace a human. Reasons include safety, environmental concerns, technological superiority, or costs. Sending an unmanned vehicle can be less dangerous and less expensive than sending a human. Application requirements drive the technology of the

Unmanned Ocean Drone

TBMG-2118812/01/2014

Liquid Robotics Sunnyvale, CA 408-636-4200

Underwater Autonomous Vehicles Combine Robotics and Vision to Inspect Oil Pipelines

TBMG-13370

04/01/2012

Among the various components of a submarine pipeline, the vertical section known as a riser is critical to managing the pipeline. This section connects the piping that runs along the bottom of the sea with the floating production platform.

A Modular Power System Architecture for Military and Commercial Electric Vehicles

2010-01-1756

11/02/2010

Numerous modern military and commercial vehicles rely on portable, battery-powered sources for electric energy. Due to their highly specialized functions these vehicles are typically custom-designed, produced in limited numbers, and expensive. To mitigate the power system's contribution to these undesirable characteristics, this paper proposes a modular power system architecture consisting of “smart” power battery units (SPUs) that can be readily interconnected in numerous ways to provide distributed and coordinated system power management. The proposed SPUs contain a battery power source and a power electronics converter. They are compatible with multiple battery chemistries (or any energy storage device that can produce a terminal voltage), allowing them to be used with both existing and future energy storage technologies. The internal power converter doubles as a charger, allowing the SPUs to be charged with standard power levels (e.g 120 V ac) via a convenient interface port

O'Connell, Tim C., Raczkowski, Brian C., Amrhein, Marco, Wells, Jason R., Tavernini, Marco J., Krein, Philip T., Banner, Julie

Autonomous Planning and Replanning for Mine-Sweeping Unmanned Underwater Vehicles

TBMG-8435

09/01/2010

This software generates high-quality plans for carrying out mine-sweeping activities under resource constraints. The autonomous planning and replanning system for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) takes as input a set of prioritized mine-sweep regions, and a specification of available UUV resources including available battery energy, data storage, and time available for accomplishing the mission. Mine-sweep areas vary in location, size of area to be swept, and importance of the region. The planner also works with a model of the UUV, as well as a model of the power consumption of the vehicle when idle and when moving.

Improved OTEC System for a Submarine Robot

TBMG-7961

05/01/2010

An ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), now undergoing development, is a less-massive, more-efficient means of exploiting the same basic principle as that of the proposed system described in “Alternative OTEC Scheme for a Submarine Robot” (NPO-43500), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 33, No. 1 (January 2009), page 50. The proposed system as described previously would be based on the thawing-expansion/freezing-contraction behavior of a wax or perhaps another suitable phase-change material (PCM). The power generated by the system would be used to recharge the batteries in a battery-powered unmanned underwater vehicle [UUV (essentially, a small exploratory submarine robot)] of a type that has been deployed in large numbers in research pertaining to global warming. A UUV of this type travels between the ocean surface and depths, measuring temperature and salinity.

Utilizing Ocean Thermal Energy in a Submarine Robot

TBMG-TB-00539006/17/2009

{ntb_intro_text}A proposed system would exploit the ocean thermal gradient for recharging the batteries in a battery-powered unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) of a type that has been deployed in large numbers to research global warming. A UUV of this type travels between the ocean surface and depths, measuring temperature and salinity.{/ntb_intro_text}

Characterization of a MEMS Directional Sound Sensor

TBMG-4960

02/01/2009

There is a wide range of potential military applications in which ambiguity in bearing occurs with respect to sound. For example, autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could employ a sensor to determine the bearing of an explosion and conduct battle damage assessment (BDA) on it. With existing sensors this is difficult to do because the explosion is too short in duration to use the Doppler effect to determine the bearing. Also, an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) acting as a quiet platform to tow a short, omni-directional hydrophone array must contend with bearing ambiguity.

Alternative OTEC Scheme for a Submarine Robot

TBMG-3496

01/01/2009

A proposed system for exploiting the ocean thermal gradient to generate power would be based on the thawing-expansion/ freezing-contraction behavior of a wax or perhaps another suitable phase-change material. The power generated by this system would be used to recharge the batteries in a battery-powered unmanned underwater vehicle [UUV (essentially, a small exploratory submarine robot)] of a type that has been deployed in large numbers in research pertaining to global warming. A UUV of this type travels between the ocean surface and various depths, measuring temperature and salinity.

Advanced High Energy and High Power Battery Designs and Materials for UAVs, UUVs and UMVs

2008-01-289311/11/2008

Yardney Technical Product's (YTP) Lithion Division has developed advanced high power battery systems for numerous manned and unmanned systems. Specifically, for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), YTP has developed and delivered high energy designs for both the Global Hawk and the X-37. YTP has delivered high power batteries for electric torpedoes and high energy batteries for both the manned Advanced Seal Delivery System (ASDS) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). Additionally, YTP is underway in the Qualification testing of our fourth Unmanned Martian Vehicle (UMV), the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). The performance and environmental requirements of these systems demonstrates the importance of battery thermal design and also some of the inherent limitations of the commercially available active materials. The above applications are largely military and aerospace, therefore a desire exists for the raw materials to come from conflict-secure sources. There are several major issues in

Puglia, Frank J., Cohen, Seth H., Hall, Jeffrey C., Santee, Stuart G., Gitzendanner, R., Bugga, Ratnakumar, Smart, Marshall C.

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