An underwater drone is disclosed. The underwater drone includes a horizontal propeller module and a vertical propeller module to respectively provide a drone body with a horizontal proceeding force and a vertical lifting or diving force. The underwater drone includes a horizontal channel and a vertical channel, which allow the water to pass through for reducing resistance when the underwater drone moves forwards, upwards or downwards. The underwater drone is equipped with a buoy member with an antenna portion of a communication module disposed therein. The underwater drone is equipped with the fishing device, the fish finding device and the image capturing module. Therefore, the underwater drone is capable of fishing, rapidly moving and wireless remote control.

The present disclosure is directed to systems, methods, and apparatus for delivering seismic data acquisition units to, and retrieving from, an underwater vehicle. A sensor storage container can be tethered to a surface vessel, which can move on the surface with a non-zero velocity. The underwater vehicle can include a storage compartment to store seismic data acquisition units and a propulsion system to aid the movement of the underwater vehicle. The underwater vehicle also can include passive and active protrusions for coupling with corresponding receptacles on the sensor storage container. The sensor storage container also can include a propulsion system to aid movement of the sensor storage container. The propulsion systems of both the underwater vehicle and the sensor storage container can be controlled to allow the underwater vehicle and the sensor storage container to couple and allow transfer of seismic data acquisition units.

The present disclosure is directed to systems, methods, and apparatus for delivering seismic data acquisition units to, and retrieving from, an underwater vehicle. A sensor storage container can be tethered to a surface vessel, which can move on the surface with a non-zero velocity. The underwater vehicle can include a storage compartment to store seismic data acquisition units and a propulsion system to aid the movement of the underwater vehicle. The underwater vehicle also can include passive and active protrusions for coupling with corresponding receptacles on the sensor storage container. The sensor storage container also can include a propulsion system to aid movement of the sensor storage container. The propulsion systems of both the underwater vehicle and the sensor storage container can be controlled to allow the underwater vehicle and the sensor storage container to couple and allow transfer of seismic data acquisition units.

Various embodiments of an apparatus and method for achieving and maintaining a desired depth of a submersible vessel are disclosed. The submersible vessel has both a ballast control system designed to alter a buoyancy of the submersible vessel and one or more vertical marine thrusters, designed to position the submersible vessel at a desired depth. Using the combination of the ballast control system and one or more thrusters, a desired depth may be achieved and maintained more quickly, more quietly and more accurately than vessels using only a ballast control system or one or more thrusters, respectively, alone.

Various embodiments of an apparatus and method for achieving and maintaining a desired depth of a submersible vessel are disclosed. The submersible vessel has both a ballast control system designed to alter a buoyancy of the submersible vessel and one or more vertical marine thrusters, designed to position the submersible vessel at a desired depth. Using the combination of the ballast control system and one or more thrusters, a desired depth may be achieved and maintained more quickly, more quietly and more accurately than vessels using only a ballast control system or one or more thrusters, respectively, alone.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a system and method for performing an inspection of an underwater environment. Embodiments may include providing an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and performing an inspection of an underwater environment using the AUV. Embodiments may further include acquiring real-time sensor data during the inspection of the underwater environment and applying an active simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm during the inspection, wherein applying includes estimating one or more virtual landmarks based upon, at least in part, at least one past measurement and a current estimate of AUV activity.

Systems and methods are provided for aerostat deployable from sonobuoy launch container. One embodiment is an apparatus that includes a capsule configured to launch from an aircraft and float in seawater with one or more sonobuoys. The capsule includes a receiver configured to receive sonobuoy data from the one or more sonobuoys, a transmitter configured to transmit the sonobuoy data to the aircraft, a cable configured to power the transmitter via a battery, and a reaction chamber including a reactant and configured to generate a gas from the seawater mixing with the reactant. The capsule also includes an aerostat tethered to the capsule via the cable and configured to inflate with the gas produced by the reaction chamber, and to ascend above the capsule with the transmitter to increase a distance for transmitting the sonobuoy data to the aircraft.

Systems and methods are provided for aerostat deployable from sonobuoy launch container. One embodiment is an apparatus that includes a capsule configured to launch from an aircraft and float in seawater with one or more sonobuoys. The capsule includes a receiver configured to receive sonobuoy data from the one or more sonobuoys, a transmitter configured to transmit the sonobuoy data to the aircraft, a cable configured to power the transmitter via a battery, and a reaction chamber including a reactant and configured to generate a gas from the seawater mixing with the reactant. The capsule also includes an aerostat tethered to the capsule via the cable and configured to inflate with the gas produced by the reaction chamber, and to ascend above the capsule with the transmitter to increase a distance for transmitting the sonobuoy data to the aircraft.

An underwater vehicle includes a propeller able to propel the vehicle, the vehicle comprising a synthetic aperture sonar comprising a set of at least one physical antenna for receiving acoustic waves, the underwater vehicle comprising a connector able to mechanically couple removably a cable to the vehicle so as to allow the underwater vehicle to be towed by a surface vehicle. The physical receiving antenna comprises a plurality of acoustic sensors, the underwater vehicle comprising an electrical network able to convey electrical power to the receiving antenna, the electrical network being configured so as to have a plurality of states wherein it conveys electrical power to different sets of acoustic sensors containing different respective numbers of acoustic sensors.

An underwater vehicle includes a propeller able to propel the vehicle, the vehicle comprising a synthetic aperture sonar comprising a set of at least one physical antenna for receiving acoustic waves, the underwater vehicle comprising a connector able to mechanically couple removably a cable to the vehicle so as to allow the underwater vehicle to be towed by a surface vehicle. The physical receiving antenna comprises a plurality of acoustic sensors, the underwater vehicle comprising an electrical network able to convey electrical power to the receiving antenna, the electrical network being configured so as to have a plurality of states wherein it conveys electrical power to different sets of acoustic sensors containing different respective numbers of acoustic sensors.