A buoyant apparatus and method of use buoyancy to offset the weight of a load during immersion of the load in a fluid medium such as a payload manipulated by a cable and crane or by a remotely operated undersea vehicle. Buoyancy modules that can be of different size and shape have elongated supports that are attachable via complementary connection fixtures at the ends. The attached supports form a skeleton of the array. The connection fixtures are axially resiliently compressible and maintain the buoyancy modules in abutment notwithstanding shrinkage or expansion of the buoyant material due to hydrostatic pressure that increases with depth.

A biomimetic turtle device includes a trunk unit, a limb unit and a control unit. The control unit includes a water depth sensor which detects water depth where the biomimetic turtle device is, and a circuit module which receives the signal from the water depth sensor and determines if the biomimetic turtle device is at a target water depth position, wherein a driving mechanism or a weight adjusting mechanism is operated if the biomimetic turtle device is not at the target water depth position to vary the volume or weight of the trunk unit so as to adjust density of the trunk unit to thereby adjust a water depth position of the biomimetic turtle device.

A biomimetic turtle device includes a trunk unit, a limb unit and a control unit. The control unit includes a water depth sensor which detects water depth where the biomimetic turtle device is, and a circuit module which receives the signal from the water depth sensor and determines if the biomimetic turtle device is at a target water depth position, wherein a driving mechanism or a weight adjusting mechanism is operated if the biomimetic turtle device is not at the target water depth position to vary the volume or weight of the trunk unit so as to adjust density of the trunk unit to thereby adjust a water depth position of the biomimetic turtle device.

Techniques and architectures are disclosed for a system capable of creating large changes in buoyancy that can be incorporated into underwater vehicles, embodiments of the system utilizing edge-welded, metal bellows disposed within a pressure vessel to balance a pressure differential across the bellows while using the bellows to displace fluid and thereby alter the buoyancy of a vehicle on which the system is disposed.

Techniques and architectures are disclosed for a system capable of creating large changes in buoyancy that can be incorporated into underwater vehicles, embodiments of the system utilizing edge-welded, metal bellows disposed within a pressure vessel to balance a pressure differential across the bellows while using the bellows to displace fluid and thereby alter the buoyancy of a vehicle on which the system is disposed.

There is provided a computerized method of controlling ascent of an underwater vehicle (UV) from a safety depth to a water surface, the method comprising: at safety depth, controlling the UV to collect, from a passive sonar associated with the UV, first data indicative of first locations of surface targets within a first surface area of interest; controlling ascent of the UV to an intermediate depth in accordance with the first data; at the intermediate depth, controlling the UV to collect second data indicative of second locations of surface targets within a second surface area of interest, wherein the second data comprises one or more of: data from a passive sonar, data from one or more magnetic sensors, data from an active sonar, data from a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) scanner; and controlling ascent of the UV to a periscope depth in accordance with the second data.

There is provided a computerized method of controlling ascent of an underwater vehicle (UV) from a safety depth to a water surface, the method comprising: at safety depth, controlling the UV to collect, from a passive sonar associated with the UV, first data indicative of first locations of surface targets within a first surface area of interest; controlling ascent of the UV to an intermediate depth in accordance with the first data; at the intermediate depth, controlling the UV to collect second data indicative of second locations of surface targets within a second surface area of interest, wherein the second data comprises one or more of: data from a passive sonar, data from one or more magnetic sensors, data from an active sonar, data from a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) scanner; and controlling ascent of the UV to a periscope depth in accordance with the second data.

The present disclosure relates to the field of underwater robots, and in particular to a controllable sinking and floating swimming pool robot and a sinking and floating control method for a swimming pool robot. The controllable sinking and floating swimming pool robot of the present disclosure includes a sinking and floating control unit configured to control a swimming pool robot to float and sink; a waterline detection unit configured to detect a positional relationship between the swimming pool robot and a waterline of a liquid surface of a swimming pool where the swimming pool robot is located; and a main control unit configured to control a working state of the sinking and floating control unit to enter a floating working state based on detection results to realize a floating of the swimming pool robot.

The present disclosure relates to the field of underwater robots, and in particular to a controllable sinking and floating swimming pool robot and a sinking and floating control method for a swimming pool robot. The controllable sinking and floating swimming pool robot of the present disclosure includes a sinking and floating control unit configured to control a swimming pool robot to float and sink; a waterline detection unit configured to detect a positional relationship between the swimming pool robot and a waterline of a liquid surface of a swimming pool where the swimming pool robot is located; and a main control unit configured to control a working state of the sinking and floating control unit to enter a floating working state based on detection results to realize a floating of the swimming pool robot.

A support buoy for supporting subsea equipment, the buoy comprising: a hull; a generator unit contained within the hull; a utilities array contained within the hull; and an umbilical,
wherein the umbilical is adapted to provide services from the generator unit and the utilities array to the subsea equipment.