A field configurable autonomous vehicle includes modular elements and attachable components. The vehicle can be assembled from these modular elements and components to meet desired mission and performance characteristics without the need to purchase specially designed vehicles for each mission. The vehicle can include a mechanisms that magnetically attach and release configurable elements from the vehicle.

Systems and methods for securing a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to a subsea structure during cleaning, maintenance, or inspection of the structure surface are provided. In one or more embodiments, an attachment mechanism includes a pair of grasping hooks that are raised and lowered when driven by a motorized drive. In one or more embodiments, an attachment mechanism includes a rigid holder having a mechanical stop and connected to a swing arm, the swing arm configured to rotate inward, but not outward beyond the mechanical stop. In one or more embodiments, an attachment mechanism includes a plurality of linked segments in series, each connected at a plurality of pivot points. A pair of wires passes through the plurality of linked segments and connects to a pair of pulleys that extend or retract the wires, thereby rotating the plurality of linked segments.

A power saving system for underwater vehicles includes a control system, a power unit and a battery. The control system controls the power unit to drive the underwater vehicle, and generates an output driving value. The control system includes a calculation unit, a three-axis accelerometer and gyro and an underwater vehicle weight value. The calculation unit creates a correspondent acceleration value by the output driving value and the underwater vehicle weight value. The three-axis accelerometer and gyro detects the acceleration of the underwater vehicle by every less than 0.5 second interval, and generates an acceleration value. The control system compares the correspondent acceleration value and the acceleration value to control the output driving value so as to save battery power and elongate the range of travelling of the underwater vehicles.

An unmanned undersea vehicle including a magnetic coupler drive. The magnetic coupler drive is incorporated into a hull section, such as a tail section of the unmanned undersea vehicle. The magnetic coupler drive includes a motor shaft magnet, a titanium housing disposed about the motor shaft magnet, and a propeller shaft magnet magnetically coupled to the motor shaft magnet, but physically separated from the propeller shaft magnet by the titanium housing.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a modular, biomimetic, underwater vehicle capable of propulsion using one or more tail undulation methods, such as anguilliform or carangiform propulsion methods.

A low frequency underwater sound source for use in an autonomous underwater vehicle includes a cylindrical body having a front portion, a rear portion, a cylindrical piezo-ceramic ring transducer disposed therebetween, and a resonant pipe surrounding the transducer. A gap is formed between an inner surface of the pipe and an outer surface of the transducer. Alternatively, the sound source includes a cylindrical body, a front fairing disposed forward of the cylindrical body, a plurality of metal rods connecting the front of the cylindrical body and the rear of the fairing, a spherical piezo-ceramic transducer disposed between the cylindrical body and the fairing, and a resonant pipe mounted at the front end of the cylindrical body. The spherical transducer is disposed within a cavity within the resonant pipe. A cylindrical orifice is formed between the front end of the resonant pipe and the rear of the fairing.

An apparatus includes first and second tanks each configured to receive and store a refrigerant under pressure. The apparatus also includes a cylinder defining a space configured to receive the refrigerant from the first and second tanks. The apparatus further includes a piston passing into the cylinder and having a head, where the head divides the space within the cylinder into a first volume for the refrigerant from the first tank and a second volume for the refrigerant from the second tank. In addition, the apparatus includes a converter configured to translate linear movement of the piston into rotational motion and a generator configured to produce electrical power based on the rotational motion.

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 unmanned vehicle including a body and a frame structure extending from the body and supporting a plurality of propeller assemblies, each propeller assembly including at least one propeller and a corresponding motor with the motor housed in a watertight housing or coated and made corrosion resistant. The propellers comprise a first subset of propellers of the propeller assemblies and a second subset of propellers of the propeller assemblies which rotate in a plane positioned below a plane in which the first subset of propellers rotate, wherein said first and second subset of propellers are configured for independent operation of one another as the vehicle transitions from an air medium to a water medium.

An unmanned vehicle capable of tunneling into soft materials, such as sand, comprises a hollow, bullet-shaped forward outer body with a first drive screw thread integrated into its exterior, a hollow cylindrical rear outer body with a second drive screw thread integrated into its exterior but threaded in the opposed direction of the first drive screw thread, and an inner body that is rotatably coupled to the inside of the forward and rear outer bodies via mechanical gears, and including directional control fins mounted on a housing at the rear end of the inner body.