Unmanned Underwater Vehicle

[Manticore]

AUV Systems Order for Saab

Defence & security company Saab sign contract for delivery of its AUV62 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) systems in training configuration.

The AUV62 is an advanced and highly modern and capable system for cost-efficient training of a navy’s ASW forces. The AUV62 is an artificial acoustic target that mimics a submarine in a way that is compatible with any torpedo- and sonar system on the market today. The AUV62 system fully replaces the use of a submarine in the role as a manoeuvring training target. With the AUV62 Saab offers a state-of-the-art training capability for demanding customers investing in the future.
The order, from an undisclosed customer, has a total value of MSEK 269 and comprises supply and long term maintenance and support of AUV62, the latest version of the advanced training target for Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) training.

System deliveries will take place during 2014 and 2015, followed by long term maintenance and support of the systems.

“We are very proud of the confidence our customers place in the AUV62 system and are satisfied to have been able to secure this order for the system.” says Görgen Johansson, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Area Dynamics, Saab.

AUV Systems Order for Saab

U.S. Navy Buys Another REMUS 100 UUV

U.S. Navy undersea warfare experts are buying another REMUS 100 unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) from Hydroid Inc. in Pocasset, Mass., a wholly owned subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime AS in Kongsberg, Norway.
The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Newport, R.I., needs the Hydroid REMUS 100 for continued development and testing, supplementing NUWC’s existing inventory of REMUS systems acquired previously to support a variety of program efforts, NUWC officials say.
The NUWC is The Navy’s primary research and engineering center for underwater and submarine warfare.
REMUS is short for Remote Environmental Measuring Unit S. The REMUS 100 slightly longer than five feet, is 7.5 inches in diameter, and weighs 85 pounds. It can operate to depths of 328 feet on missions lasting eight to 10 hours.
Powering the REMUS 100 UUV is a direct-drive DC brushless motor and an open three-bladed propeller. It can swim as fast as 4.5 knots and navigates by Doppler-assisted dead reckoning, Inertial navigation system, and GPS.
Operators control the REMUS 100 UUV with laptop computer-based software for programming, training, post-mission analysis, documentation, maintenance, and troubleshooting. The software enables one operator to control as many as four REMUS 100 UUVs at the same time.
The REMUS 100 is suited to marine research, defense, hydrographic and offshore energy applications. It is small enough to be carried by two people, and can perform intricate sonar and oceanographic surveys over large areas, Hydroid officials say.
Typical REMUS 100 applications include mine countermeasures, harbor security, debris field mapping, search and salvage operations, hydrographic surveys, environmental monitoring, fishery operations, and scientific sampling and mapping, Hydroid officials say.
NUWC is buying the REMUS 100 UUV sole source because Hydroid is the only known source that can meet Navy requirements of a UUV that is man-portable, has an energy density of at least 1.2 kilowatt hours, Navy officials say.
Researchers plan to use the REMUS 100 in exercises that require a UUV that can move as fast as four knots for as long as 10 hours. NUWC officials plan to release a formal request for quote (RFQ) to Hydroid around 1 May.

Subsea World News - U.S. Navy Buys Another REMUS 100 UUV

Slocum Glider

Conceived by Douglas C. Webb and supported by Henry Stommel and others, the class of Slocum Gliders is named after Joshua Slocum, the first man to single-handedly sail around the world.

The Slocum Glider is a uniquely mobile network component capable of moving to specific locations and depths and occupying controlled spatial and temporal grids. Driven in a sawtooth vertical profile by variable buoyancy, the glider moves both horizontally and vertically.

The long-range and duration capabilities of Slocum gliders make them ideally suited for subsurface sampling at the regional scale. Carrying a wide variety of sensors, they can be programmed to patrol for weeks at a time, surfacing to transmit their data to shore while downloading new instructions at regular intervals, realizing a substantial cost savings compared to traditional surface ships.

The small relative cost and the ability to operate multiple vehicles with minimal personnel and infrastructure will enable small fleets of gliders to study and map the dynamic (temporal and spatial) features of subsurface coastal waters around the clock and around the calendar.
Webb Research Corporation - designs and manufacturers scientific instruments for oceanographic research and monitoring

http://www.webbresearch.com/pdf/Slocum_Glider_Data_Sheet.pdf

 

[Manticore]

'Green' Energy Powers Undersea Glider

Thermal glider uses heat from the ocean to fly through the deep blue

WHOI : Oceanus : 'Green' Energy Powers Undersea Glider
Researchers have successfully flown the first thermal glider through the ocean—a robotic vehicle that can propel itself for several months across thousands of miles, using only heat energy from the ocean.

In April 2008, a research team led by Dave Fratantoni of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Roy Watlington of the University of the Virgin Islands retrieved a prototype thermal glider that they had launched in December 2007 off the coast of St. Thomas in the Caribbean Sea. The vehicle crisscrossed a deep ocean basin between St. Thomas and St Croix more than 75 times, traveling uninterruptedly for more than 1,600 nautical miles (3,000 kilometers).

"We now believe the technology is stable enough to be used for science. It is no longer just an engineering prototype," Fratantoni said.

The thermal glider fulfills a major step toward a long-held dream of oceanographers: launching an armada self-propelled, long-lasting, relatively inexpensive robots to roam throughout the oceans. The vehicles could measure ocean conditions over timepsans and territory impossible to attain and afford using ships, and they would report regularly via satellite to scientists back on shore.

The idea was conceived in the 1980s by Doug Webb, a former WHOI research specialist who founded the Webb Research Corporation, which built the thermal glider. Webb collaborated extensively with renowned WHOI physical oceanographer Henry Stommel, who in 1989 penned an article in the journal Oceanography about a fleet of Webb’s gliding sentinels bobbing through the ocean. Webb and Stommel named the vehicles “Slocum” gliders for Joshua Slocum, the first man to single-handedly sail around the world.

24/7 operations, for several months
“Gliders can be put to work on tasks that humans wouldn’t want to do or cannot do because of time and cost concerns,” said Fratantoni, an associate scientist in the WHOI Department of Physical Oceanography. “They can work around the clock in all weather conditions.”

The torpedo-shaped vehicle, measuring 2 meters (6.5-feet) long, descends to about 5,000 feet (1.5 kilometers) and then rises back to the surface about 2.75 miles (5 kilometers) farther on, tracing a regular roller-coaster pattern in the ocean. As it ascends sensors in the glider’s bow measure water temperature and salinity.

At the surface, the glider reports its position and transmits data via satellite. Scientists can also transmit commands, redirecting the glider on a new route, for example.

Though the thermal glider is not the first autonomous underwater vehicle to traverse great distances or stay at sea for long periods, it is the first to do so with green energy.

Most gliders rely on battery-powered motors and mechanical pumps to move ballast water or oil from inside the vehicle’s hull to the outside, in order to change the vehicle’s buoyancy. The new thermal glider draws its energy for propulsion from the differences in temperature between warm surface waters heated by the sun and colder, deeper layers of the ocean.

Ups and downs
Here’s work it works. To descend, a valve opens, allowing oil from a flexible bladder outside the glider’s hull to flow into a bladder inside the hull. The glider’s mass remains the same, but its volume decreases. That lowers its buoyancy and makes it sink.

Beneath the glider are external tubes filled with liquid wax. As the glider descends into deeper waters with temperatures below 50°F (10°C) range, the wax solidifies and shrinks. That creates room in the tubes for oil to flow in.

The glider also has an internal storage tank filled with oil and nitrogen gas that is compressed to 3,000 pounds per square inch. To begin the glider’s ascent, a valve opens the storage tank, and the decompressing gas forces oil back into the external bladder. This makes the glider buoyant again and pitches its nose upward. The glider’s wings generate lift, converting the vertical motion into horizontal flight.

As the glider rises toward the surface, where temperatures reach 80°F (27°C), the wax in the external tubes liquefies, forcing oil out of the tubes and into the storage tank. That recompresses the gas again, effectively resetting the “spring” to launch the glider’s next ascent.

“We are tapping a virtually unlimited energy source for propulsion,” Fratantoni said. The computers, radio transmitters, and other electronics on the glider are powered by alkaline batteries, which are, for now, the principal limit on the length of operation. Webb Research is working to reduce the electrical needs of the instruments, while also developing the capability to convert some of the thermal energy to power for the electronics.

Over the past decade, Fratantoni’s Autonomous Systems Laboratory has become Webb’s chief scientific partner in Woods Hole, testing and deploying the gliders in various underwater environments. Many battery-powered Slocum gliders have been deployed in shallower waters for coastal studies, for acoustics and marine mammal research, and for studies of currents and ocean circulation.

—Mike Carlowicz and Lonny Lippsett

Recent funding for scientific missions and field testing of the thermal glider system has been provided by the U.S. Office of Naval Research and the Grayce B. Kerr Fund.

---------

Proteus: Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV)

Quincy, MA, USA—21 Feb 2012—Bluefin Robotics, a subsidiary of Battelle, is joining with The Columbia Group to invest in the next generation large submersible vehicle.

Bluefin is a leader in design and manufacture of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) and related technology. Battelle has a long history of meeting the technology needs of the U.S. Navy including work on the Advanced SEAL Delivery System. The Columbia Group has provided the U.S. and foreign navies with Swimmer Delivery Vehicles for more than 20 years.

The Columbia Group currently is developing the hull mechanical and electrical systems for the large Dual Mode Undersea Vehicle, capable of operation in either manned or autonomous modes. Called Proteus, it will be advanced by incorporating Bluefin’s autonomy technology for use in unmanned missions. Bluefin is also supplying mission planning capabilities and the power solution. Battelle is providing battery charging and systems integration support. Developers plan to hold an at-sea demonstration in the spring.

Read more here.

With the U.S. Navy rapidly pursuing deployment of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) for its fleet, The Columbia Group is hoping their new beefy underwater sub, the Proteus, a 25 foot 6,220lb beast, will turn some heads. The unmanned Proteus is capable of carrying 3,200 pounds of mines and ordnance. The Proteus can carry other vehicles, including the Sea Fox, a One-Shot Mine Identification and Disposal (UUV), which can also be sent on suicide missions. The Proteus is designed to carry an internal load of 400 lbs, which means a lot of sensors and cameras can be installed to find out what’s lurking in the deep. The Proteus (UUV), although it’s a tight fit, if necessary could carry a crew of up to 7 Navy SEALs to a highly fortified target.

The U.S. Navy’s Admiral Gary Rougehead, the ongoing chief of Naval Operations, has challenged engineers to build an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) capable of traveling thousands of nautical miles before refueling. The Columbia Group anticipates the Proteus will have a top speed in the range of 3 to 5 knots and would have a range of approximately 324 nautical miles or 92 hours before it would need refueling. Although the Proteus doesn’t meet the benchmarks set by Adm. Rougehead, it’s a step in the right direction. Admiral Roughead hopes to take the UUVs from experimental to routine deployments within the next decade.

“I think that unmanned underwater vehicles have potentially greater value than maybe even … the aerial vehicles; I submit that the underwater is more stressing, it’s harder,” Roughead said in an interview. “And therefore I think the ability to use underwater vehicles can give you, I think, more of a payback than an aerial vehicle can.”

The challenge facing engineers is powering these underwater vehicles, which would be deployed at sea for months. The U.S. Navy is currently exploring new technologies to power UUVs, some of which include various types of advanced fuel cell technology. The fuel cell types being looked at include solid oxide, direct borohydride, and hydrogen systems, which are all being tested as ways to power the UUV’s electric propulsion systems without access to oxygen.

The Proteus is scheduled to hit the waters sometime this summer for testing near The Columbia Group’s home in Panama City, Florida. The Proteus is a non-funded military program. It’s safe to assume that The Columbia Group hopes that will change after successful testing.

http://www.richardcyoung.com/terrorism/proteus-unmanned-underwater-vehicle-uuv/

 

[Super Falcon]

soon we see small sharks unmaneed carriyng atomic bombs

 

[Manticore]

DARPA considers unmanned submersible mothership designed to deploy UAVs and UUVs

Unmanned vehicles designers at the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., will brief industry next month on a project to develop an unmanned submersible designed to transport and deploy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) stealthily close to enemy operations.

The Hydra program will develop and demonstrate an unmanned undersea system with a new kine of unmanned-vehicle delivery system that inserts UAVs and UUVs. stealthily into operational environments to respond quickly to situations around the world without putting U.S. military personnel at risk.

The Hydra large UUV is to use modular payloads inside a standardized enclosure to deploy a mix of UAVs and UUVs, depending on the military situation. Hydra will integrate existing and emerging technologies in new ways to create an alternate means of delivering a variety of payloads close to where they're needed, DARPA officials say.

The Hydra program also will seek to develop and demonstrate not only the unmanned vehicle mothership, but also examples of the UAVs and UUVs that could be carried into battle covertly.

The rising number of ungoverned states, piracy, and proliferation of sophisticated defenses severely stretches current resources and influences U.S. military capability to conduct special operations and contingency missions, DARPA scientists say.

The Hydra program represents a way to add undersea capacity that can be tailored to support each mission. Technologies are to be adaptable to several different delivery options, including airborne, surface, and subsurface. The Hydra program could enable other new capabilities not currently performed from undersea, DARPA officials explain.

The program will demonstrate individual high-risk components and systems before the military commits to a specific full-system approach, and refine technologies prior to operational demonstrations of the UAV and UUV payloads.

Hydra will have three phases. First, the program will define concepts, develop component capabilities, and reduce subsystem risks with one or more contracts in several technical areas. Later, the program will develop and test a full system. Technical areas involve modular enclosures, air vehicle payloads, undersea payloads, concepts of operation, and supporting technologies.

Modular enclosures will host Hydra payloads and provide a means to transport, house, and launch them. It will be a payload-agnostic “mission truck” that will provide basic services and support to individual payloads. It will operate in shallow coastal waters and harbors for extended periods.

Subsystems will include ballast system, energy, communications, command and control, propulsion, the ability to accommodate different payloads, and measures for long-duration submerged operations. It will deploy its UAVs and UUVs without surfacing, and maintain communications throughout its mission.

The air vehicle payload will feature encapsulated air vehicles that fit into the standard Hydra modular enclosure. The air vehicle payload that will be ejected from the mothership, float to the surface, launch, fly a minimum range, and conduct several different types of missions.

Undersea payloads will launch, dock, and recharge from the mothership and collect intelligence information. After their missions they will download information to the mothership, which will communicate it to command authorities.
Concepts of operation will involve Hydra deployment and retrieval using submarines and transport aircraft; command, control, and communications architectures, and the potential effectiveness of Hydra UAV and UUV payloads.

DARPA considers unmanned submersible mothership designed to deploy UAVs and UUVs - Military & Aerospace Electronics

ASELSAN Autonomous Underwater Vehicle is a concept research and development project for underwater inspection and observation operations.

General Specifications

Tele-Operation
Advanced Autonomous Navigation
Observation and Reconnaissance with Imaging Sonar and Cameras
Automatic Object Detection and Warning
Communication Link for Data and Video Transmission
JAUS (Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems) compatibility

Applications

Underwater Observation and Reconnaissance with Intelligence
Port and Critical Infrastructure Security
Coastal Security
Mine Detection, Identification and Disposal Operations
Search and Recovery
Aselsan | Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV)

 

[Pak_Sher]

New concept and great idea.

 

[Jf Thunder]

it should b easier to make than UAVs maybe?

 

[kurup]

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) - DRDO

The four-metre long, 1.4-metre wide, 1,500 kg, flat fish-shaped vehicle can travel at a speed of about 7 km per hour at depths of up to 300 metres below sea level.

The control and navigation algorithms and guidance strategy for DRDO's 1,500 kg Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) was developed by the Department of Engineering Design, IIT Madras.

When the vehicle deviates from its intended path, the guidance and control systems activate the propellers (technically called ‘thrusters’) and control planes to ensure that the vehicle returns to the original trajectory and continue moving along the desired path.

The propeller configuration can be changed depending on the mission requirements. Movements in six different directions — upward and downward, forward and reverse, and left and right (port and starboard) — can be achieved by propellers placed suitably.

DRDO Tests Autonomous Underwater Vehicle |APPSC Material, Group 1 Group 2 Notification, UPSC, Bank PO, IBPS, General Studies Material

 

[kurup]

AUV-150 , CMERI

AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) - 150 is an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) being developed by Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) scientists in Durgapur in the Indian state of West Bengal. The project is sponsored by the Ministry of Earth Sciences and has technical assistance from IIT-Kharagpur

The ‘AUV-150,' as the prototype is named, is built to operate 150 metres under the sea. It was developed in technical collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur.

The cylindrical AUV is capable of independently carrying out a plethora of underwater operations, including ocean floor-mapping, surveillance activities and oceanographic studies, based on data gathered using its onboard sensors.

The AUV has hybrid communication channels. It uses radio frequency while on surface, but switches to acoustic communication when submerged. “The AUV has its own power, propulsion, navigation and control systems. For movement underwater, it locates own geographical position using navigational sensors, while its forward-looking sonar facilitates obstacle evasion and safe passage. For effective operation, it is equipped with navigational sensors like the inertial navigation system, depth sonar, altimeter etc., and payload sensors like camera, side scan sonar and the like. It has extra roll stability, a cruising speed of up to four knots, and weighs about 490 kg,” Professor Biswas said.

Sea trial

The first series of sea trials of AUV-150 was commenced from 13 July 2011 off the Chennai coast. From July 13 to July 16 the diving depth of the AUV-150 was increased in stages, it reached consecutive depths of 35,79m 79.86m and 119.95m and finally on 17 july 2011 Auv-150 reached the specified depth of 150 m. Despite extreme rough sea environments (Sea-state of 4), the sea trial was satisfactory. Although minor problem was faced in recording video frames.

Sea trials of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle to be conducted this month-end - The Hindu

 

[Manticore]

Submarines: U.S. Navy Expands Its Fleet Of Robotic Subs
Submarines: U.S. Navy Expands Its Fleet Of Robotic Subs
January 5, 2014: Since 2009 the U.S. Navy has been developing and testing a series of robotic mini-submarines, or AUVs (Autonomous Undersea Vehicle) that are silent, very small, and able to operate on their own for up to a year. The first models were two meters (six feet) long and weighed 59 kg (130 pounds) and built to operate completely on its own collecting valuable information about underwater “weather”. What this AUV does is automatically move slowly (30-70 kilometers a day) underwater, collecting data on salinity and temperature and transmitting back via a satellite link every hour or so as the AUV briefly reaches the surface. This data improves the effectiveness of sonars used by friendly forces, making it easier to detect and track enemy submarines. That’s because the speed of sound travelling through water varies according the temperature and salinity of the water. Having more precise data on salinity and temperature in a large body of water makes your underwater sensors (sonar, which detects sound to determine what is out there) more accurate. The current navy AUVs can dive as far down as 200 meters (620 feet) but new models will be able to go down to 1,000 meters or more.

These AUVs use a unique form of propulsion. They have wings, and a small pump, that fills and empties a chamber. This changes its buoyancy, causing it to glide down, then back up. This maneuver moves the AUV forward. Equipped with GPS and a navigation and communications computer, the AUV is programmed (or instructed via the sat link) to monitor a particular area. The small pump uses less electricity than a propeller (to move it at the same speed). Thus these UAVs can remain at sea for up to a year on one battery charge. Before the battery runs out the navy has to direct the UAV and a ship to a rendezvous where the AUV will remain on the surface and the ship will haul it aboard, replace the battery and perform any other needed maintenance. Small AUV maintenance detachments (of two or three sailors) can be flown to a ship that is close enough to make the rendezvous. In some cases you can direct the AUV to move close to land, which makes it even easier to find a boat to go out and get the AUV. These AUVs can be launched from ships or shore. In 2009 an AUV of this type crossed the Atlantic on its own, as part of a civilian research project.

The navy currently has 75 of these AUVs and plans to have at least 150 by 2015. This is part of a plan to have UAVs replace many of the ocean survey ships currently used for this kind of work. The survey ships take temperature and salinity reading from instruments deployed from the ship as well as a global network of several thousand research buoys. Unlike the survey ships the AUVs could be deployed in areas where hostile subs are believed to be operating, and be kept at it as long as needed. If successful in regular use, larger versions are planned, equipped with more sensors and longer duration.

 

[Penguin]

it should b easier to make than UAVs maybe?

Hardly! To be operated in a 3D environment at least as hostile as airspace (think e.g. about pressure and shock resistance)

 

[Jf Thunder]

Hardly! To be operated in a 3D environment at least as hostile as airspace (think e.g. about pressure and shock resistance)

wow, unexpected

 

[Nishan_101]

where is GIDS and NESCOM?????

 

[Indus Falcon]

Construction starts on anti-submarine drone
Published July 17, 2014

The military’s ambitious plan to build an anti-submarine drone is taking shape.

Defense contractor Leidos has begun construction on the ACTUV (Autonomous Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel), which is designed to track enemy submarines across vast oceans for months at a time.

Commissioned by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) project, ACTUV will perform a host of missions, from reconnaissance to surveillance. The trimaran, or three-hulled ship, will use sensors to track quiet diesel electric submarines. It will also be equipped with long and short range radar.

Situational sensors will ensure that the ACTUV avoids other shipping, according to Leidos, which says that the vessel will require minimum human input.

DARPA is keen to build an unmanned vessel for submarine hunting, removing the need for crew quarters and many other features of a traditional ship. A human is not intended to step aboard the ACTUV at any point during its operating cycle.

“It would help keep our troops out of harm's way and provide capability in more harsh environmental conditions for a longer period of time,"said Leidos Group President John Fratamico, in a statement.

DARPA even used crowdsourcing in the early stages of the project, offering ‘Dangerous Waters,’ an ACTUV Tactics Simulator, to gamers via for free download. The agency then reviewed gamers’ strategies in an attempt to improve the drone’s tactical capabilities.

Construction will last 15 months. The vessel is expected to set sail for testing on the Columbia River in 2015.




Construction starts on anti-submarine drone | Fox News

 

[ANMDT]

Hardly! To be operated in a 3D environment at least as hostile as airspace (think e.g. about pressure and shock resistance)

Pressure isnt that serious issue nowadays if its not submerging to 500 meters , since its a tubular construction considered to be closed ended and eliminating shear stress. Only issue is handling motion of vessel and keep it silent as possible, and get the systems working properly with auto control mechanism.

it should b easier to make than UAVs maybe?

in means of control systems,its hard as much as UAVs (even more) , UAVs are made with stabilized motions by lift gained from wings, but UUV is lifted by water, thus have a instability due to winglets only used to control motion. Also its tubular, mostly symmetric unlike ships, thus having a instabil motion .

in means of enviroment its operating, its easier since it moves slower, less vibration, less noise.
in production ,if you have a working torpedo, not so hard to make some UUV

 

[Manticore]

TECHNOLOGIES TO ENABLE AUTOMATED LOOKOUTS FOR UNMANNED SURFACE VESSELS
March 26, 2015

http://www.darpa.mil/NewsEvents/Releases/2015/03/26a.aspx

ACTUV program invites input so future unmanned ships could operate safely near manned maritime vessels in all weather and traffic conditions, day or night



DARPA’s Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) program seeks to develop a new type of unmanned surface vessel that could independently track adversaries’ ultra-quiet diesel-electric submarines over thousands of miles. One of the challenges that the ACTUV program is addressing is development of autonomous behaviors for complying with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, known as COLREGS. Substantial progress has been made in developing and implementing those behaviors. Currently, ACTUV’s system for sensing other vessels is based on radar, which provides a “90 percent solution” for detecting other ships. However, radar is less suitable for classification of the type of other vessels, for example determining whether the vessel is a powered vessel or a sailboat. Additionally, one of the requirements of COLREGS is to maintain “a proper lookout by sight and hearing.”

To help augment ACTUV’s capability for sensing and classifying other vessels, and to reduce reliance on radar as ACTUV’s primary sensor, DARPA has issued a Request for Information (RFI) (Request For Information (RFI) Hardware and Software for Unmanned Vessel Perception - Federal Business Opportunities: Opportunities) about currently available technologies that could help ACTUV and future unmanned surface vessels perceive and classify nearby ships and other objects. DARPA is specifically interested in sensor systems and image-processing hardware and software that use passive (electro-optical/infrared, or EO/IR) or non-radar active (e.g., light detection and ranging, or LIDAR) approaches. The goal is to develop reliable, robust onboard systems that could detect and track nearby surface vessels and potential navigation hazards, classify those objects’ characteristics and provide input to ACTUV’s autonomy software to facilitate correct COLREGs behaviors.

“We’re looking for test-ready, multi-sensor approaches that push the boundaries of today’s automated sensing systems for unmanned surface vessels,” said Scott Littlefield, DARPA program manager. “Enhancing the ability of these kinds of vessels to sense their environment in all weather and traffic conditions, day or night, would significantly advance our ability to conduct a range of military missions.”

The RFI invites short responses (5 pages or fewer) that explore some or all of the following technical areas:

1. Maritime Perception Sensors: Any combination of non-radar-based imaging and tracking methods, including, but not limited to, passive and active imagers in the visible and infrared wavelengths and Class 1 Laser Rangefinder (LRF) and Flash LIDAR to image ships during day or night in the widest variety of environmental conditions, including haze, fog and rain, over ranges from 4 km to 15 km
2. Maritime Perception Software: Algorithms and software for detection, tracking and classification of ships by passive optical or non-radar active imagers
3. Classification Software for Day Shapes/Navigation Lights: Algorithms and software to support detection, tracking and classification of day shapes and navigation lights—standard tools that vessels use to communicate a ship’s position and status—by using passive optical or non-radar active imagers

Responses are due to DARPA-SN-15-27@darpa.mil by 4:00 PM Eastern Time on April 28, 2015. All technical and administrative correspondence and questions regarding this announcement and how to respond should be sent toDARPA-SN-15-27@darpa.mil.

ACTUV aims to persistently trail adversaries’ submarines, limiting their tactical capacity for surprise. As designed, it would operate under sparse remote supervisory control but could also serve as a remotely piloted vessel, should the mission or specific circumstances require it. With an envisioned price tag of $20 million per vessel, ACTUV aims to provide breakthrough capabilities at a price much lower than manned warships. Initial water-borne testing of an ACTUV prototype is scheduled for later this year.

In September 2014, DARPA signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Office of Naval Research to jointly fund an extended test phase of an ACTUV prototype. Pending the results of those tests, the program could transition to the U.S. Navy in 2018 for use in anti-submarine warfare and possibly as a multipurpose unmanned “truck” for dirty, dull or dangerous missions, such as mine countermeasures.