A geofenced autonomous aquatic drone for repelling sharks from a shoreline. The drone employs a buoyant housing resembling a portion of a predator such as an orca whale. A battery positioned within the drone is recharged through a floating inductive charging station. A transmitter unit coupled to at least one under water transducer introduces certain sounds, such as reproduction of orca whale or dolphin calling sounds. A propulsion system controlled a microprocessor receives location information via DGPS for providing a geofence around an area to be patrolled. The drone travels within the geofence area, monitored by the DGPS receiver, while said transducer produces certain sounds and or a solution of shark repellant is dispensed.

An underwater robot based on a variable-size auxiliary drive and a control method thereof includes a variable-size auxiliary drive module and a main control system. The variable-size auxiliary drive module includes a first variable-size silo, at least two first variable-size units and at least two first gasbags. The first variable-size silo has a first accommodating space with at least two first accommodating subspaces. Each of the first variable-size units includes a first micro push rod motor, a first push rod, a first push plate and a first gas guide tube. The first micro push rod motor, the first push rod and the first push plate are accommodated in the corresponding first accommodating subspace. The first push rod is fixed to the first push plate. one of the first gas guide tubes correspondingly communicates with one of the first accommodating subspaces and one of the first gasbags.

A positioning and rescue device for an unmanned underwater vehicle, comprising a battery (1), a switch (2), a protective resistor (3), an electromagnetic relay (4), a master control chip (5), a GPS positioning system (6), an igniter (7), a partition (8), an air bag (9), a shell (10), and a rope (11). The battery (1), the switch (2), the protective resistor (3), the electromagnetic relay (4) and the master control chip (5) are sequentially connected by means of wires to form a series circuit, and the igniter (7) and the GPS positioning system (6) are separately connected to the master control chip (5) by means of wires; two normally open contacts of a control loop of the electromagnetic relay (4) are respectively connected to two ends of a general power supply (15).

A watercraft may have a shaped charge and a gas chamber. The gas chamber may be adjacent to the shaped charge in a direction of action of the shaped charge. The gas chamber can be varied in length in the direction of action of the shaped charge. Further, the shaped charge may be movable parallel to the direction of action of the shaped charge. A threaded rod can be used to move the shaped charge. In some cases a length of the gas chamber is variable between 0.1-times and 10.0 times a diameter of the shaped charge. The watercraft may be configured in some instances as an unmanned underwater vehicle.

An underwater vehicle for performing a variety of linear motions and turning motions with better stability and agility is disclosed. The underwater vehicle includes a main body, a front-drive mechanism, a rear-drive mechanism, and a steering assembly. The main body has a front end and a rear end, which defines a longitudinal axis extending from the front end to the rear end of the main body. The front-drive mechanism is connected to the main body to provide a forward propelling force in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis. The steering assembly is fixed to the rear end and coupled to the rear-drive mechanism. The steering assembly is configured to rotate the rear-drive mechanism with respect to the longitudinal axis by a body angle for providing a lateral force on the main body.

An autonomous ship bottom inspection method by a ROV(s) based on a ship 3D model in STL format is provided. The ship 3D model is obtained and a surface thereof is spliced by triangular facets. Body 3D coordinate points of the ship 3D model are obtained and then expanded according to a safety distance of ROV and ship to obtain inspection track points of the ROV. The ship 3D model is divided into regions, and the inspection track points in each region are performed with interpolation and smoothing. Smoothed inspection track points of the regions are connected as per a result of the dividing to obtain a ship bottom inspection track, a real-time position of the ROV is obtained, a ship bottom inspection path is generated based on the ship bottom inspection track and the real-time position. The ROV is controlled to move as per the ship bottom inspection path.

A system receives data from a submersible remote operated vehicle (ROV), the data being about the operation of an arm of the ROV. The system automatically controls, based on the data, movement of the arm in docking the arm to a tool holder. In certain instances, the system implements an image based control. In certain instances, the system implements a force accommodation control. In certain instances, the system implements both.

Multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are operated by a host platform by configuring the AUVs with intermediate nodes (such as unmanned surface vehicles (USVs)) so as to allow the host platform to manage multiple AUVs. The intermediate nodes act as a relay for communications between the host platform and the AUVs allowing the host platform to scale to higher numbers of vehicles thus simultaneously operating the entire fleet of AUVs. The AUVs may provide underwater mapping data. The host platform may be stationary. The host platform may communicate with the intermediate nodes by satellite.

Method and system for underwater hyperspectral imaging of seabed impact, environmental state or environmental footprint from natural or man-made sedimentation comprising hyperspectral imaging of ecological, chemical or sediment indicators in an observation area and identifying and classifying ecological, chemical or sediment indicators in the observation area.

A method for operating a mine-sweeping system and corresponding mine-sweeping system, wherein the mine-sweeping system includes at least one drone for detonating sea mines. The drone has at least one magnet element for magnetically detonating the sea mines. The method includes a) translationally moving the at least one drone in the water and b) carrying out a first rotational movement of the drone with respect to a first degree of rotational freedom.