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.

Infrastructure monitoring relevant to offshore power cable inspection through the use of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (“AUV”) carrying a small magnetometer to localize and map underwater power cables. The method comprises using an AUV to cover a series of transects across a known cable corridor to localize subsea and buried power transmission cables in the marine environment for mapping and/or subsequent navigational aiding.

An AUV support system includes: a surface ship; an underwater station configured to support an AUV which autonomously sails in water; and a cable connecting the surface ship and the underwater station. The cable includes: a first cable portion extending downward from the surface ship through a water surface when the underwater station is suspended in the water by the cable from the surface ship that is in a stop state on the water; a second cable portion extending upward from a lower end portion of the first cable portion when the underwater station is suspended as above; and a third cable portion extending downward from an upper end portion of the second cable portion and connected to the underwater station when the underwater station is suspended as above.

The present invention relates to a power supply system for underwater vehicles, in particular to a power supply system for autonomous underwater vehicles, to underwater vehicles equipped with such power supply systems and to a method of operating an underwater vehicle. The power supply system for underwater vehicles comprises a hydrogen fuel cell, which on the one hand is in fluid contact with a metal hydride storage tank, and on the other hand, with a membrane module that is capable of extracting dissolved oxygen from water. By combining the above mentioned components, the energy necessary to support the AUV operation and the operation of its sensors can be provided, replacing in an efficient and sustainable way the currently employed battery energy systems. For the operation of gliders, a weight compensating mechanism could also be implemented.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for detecting and collecting fluids released into a body of water are disclosed. Particularly, detection and collection of a fluid released during a petroleum exploration or production operation are disclosed. A released fluid may be detected using sensors on a submersible vehicle (SV) or a plurality of SVs operating in concert. A detected released fluid is collected in storage tanks onboard of the one or more SVs or in an external tank coupled to the one or more SVs.

An underwater vehicle having a hovering system using a tube type launcher. The underwater vehicle includes a streamlined body and a hovering system connected to a rear of the streamlined body to generate a kinetic force of the streamlined body. The hovering system includes an extension shaft extended to be connected to the rear, a connection assembly connected to the rear through the extension shaft, and an auxiliary propeller assembly connected to the connection assembly.

Methods and structures are disclosed for providing autonomous control of an underwater vehicle using a state machine. A controller is used onboard the underwater vehicle and includes a state machine having a plurality of operating states. Each of the plurality of operating states includes one or both of entrance criteria and exit criteria. The controller is configured to transition from executing a first operating state of the plurality of operating states to executing a second operating state of the plurality of operating states in response to the exit criteria of the first operating state and the entrance criteria of the second operating state both being met. The plurality of operating states includes a first portion of operating states associated with a first task, a second portion of operating states associated with a second task, and a third portion of operating states associated with both the first and second tasks.

A submersible system is provided having a submersible launch vessel that sends instructions from a mission controller to deploy one or more deployable systems for one or more underwater operations. The submersible launch vessel is submerged within a waterbody. A submersible power supply powers the submersible launch vessel and the one or more deployable systems. One or more communication devices is in communication with the mission controller, and the mission controller is located in one of a remote or a local location relative to the submersible launch vessel. The one or more deployable systems, via the one or more communication devices coupled to the submersible launch vessel, are remote controlled by the mission controller to execute the one or more underwater operations. Also, information associated with the one or more underwater operations including telemetry data is transmitted to the mission controller from the submersible launch vessel.

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

The present invention provides an apparatus, method and system for utilizing commercial cargo containers. The present invention utilizes containers made autonomous by coupling a container with a detachable propulsion system, having a motor and navigation and steering controls, permitting the rapid, controlled, efficient and safe delivery of cargo containers individually by water. Ballast units, deployment systems and control via remote units are also disclosed. The containers, utilizing their inherent buoyancy, can move autonomously according to a preplanned or remote controlled route to a specific location.