An autonomous underwater seismic wave generation system includes a housing, and an autonomous navigation system, a propulsion system and a seismic wave generator, each connected to the housing. The autonomous navigation system can navigate the autonomous underwater seismic wave generation system to subsea locations including a location on a seabed. The propulsion system can drive the autonomous underwater seismic wave generation system to the location on the seabed. The seismic wave generator can couple to the location on the seabed to generate seismic waves at the location on the seabed.

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 and other autonomous vehicles can be transported to the location of use by a ferry vehicle thereby conserving vehicle systems and resources and expanding the vehicle utility.

An example system can comprise autonomous submarines and an auxiliary station including a power supply. Each autonomous submarine can include a respective power supply and a respective marine survey node coupled thereto. The auxiliary station can be configured to dock the autonomous submarines in a body of water and recharge the respective power supply of each of the autonomous submarines via the power supply of the auxiliary station. Each autonomous submarine can be configured to autonomously navigate from and return to the auxiliary station and position the respective marine survey node on an underwater surface.

A system to perform marine surveying may include a pair of identical design autonomous marine survey vehicles configured for coordinated operations. The vehicles may navigate and transit from a launch location to a geographically distant designated survey location, continuously survey and transit to a designated recovery location. A pair of vehicles may operate interchangeably at the sea surface, semi-submerged and underwater. Each may generate energy when operating at the surface and store energy in a rechargeable battery to power vehicle operation. The payload may include a sensor system to acquire seabed sensor data. A data storage system may store the sensor data. An on-board payload quality control system may analyze data validity. Positioning when the vehicle is collecting seabed sensor data may be determined with high precision, to provide survey data of high precision.

A deployable wave energy harvesting device for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) includes a deployable lifting platform and an energy harvesting mechanism. The deployable lifting platform includes two scissor-type lifting structures, which are supported by a double-end threaded rod. A first stepper motor is connected to a threaded rod passing through a threaded hole at a center of a slotted pin shaft, and drives the threaded rod to lift and lower the deployable lifting platform. A spindle on the energy harvesting mechanism is connected to a generator. A support frame is hung at the end of the spindle. A scissor-type single-pendulum structure is hung at the lower end of the support frame. A load is hung on the end of the scissor-type single-pendulum structure. Second and third stepper motors are installed on the support frame to lift and lower the load by rope drive.

The present disclosure relates to methods, techniques, and systems for underwater vehicles, in particular buoyancy driven vehicles such as vertical profiling floats. An example vertical profiling float vehicle is constructed from two independent substantially cylindrical pressure housings that each have a concave end. The housings are coupled to one another at their concave ends, such that the concavities face one another and form a chamber. The chamber is open to the environment and houses an external displacement bladder, such that the bladder is located at or about the midplane of the vehicle. The vehicle may also include a fluid return system that is operable to precisely control the return of fluid from the displacement bladder to an internal reservoir. The vehicle in some embodiments may also include a fixed-displacement pump configured to pump fluid from the internal reservoir to the displacement bladder.

An apparatus including a controllable fluid-contacting surface is provided. In another aspect, the present apparatus includes a flexible membrane and multiple actuators each having an output shaft or activation member coupled to a water-contacting membrane, with the shafts extending in a direction offset from the nominal outer surface of the membrane. A further aspect of the present apparatus includes an underwater vessel including a propulsion source, a flexible membrane having a water-contacting outer surface and an electronic controller including programmable software for actuating the actuators.

A sound source for acoustic communication, navigation, and networking of an underwater glider may include a cylindrical body, a rigid front section disposed anteriorly to the cylindrical body, a plurality of metal rods, a resonant pipe surrounding the rods, and a rod-mounted piezo-ceramic transducer disposed between the body and the front section. Each rod may be attached at a first end to an anterior portion of the body and at a second end to a posterior portion of the front section. The pipe may be disposed between the body and the front section. The transducer may be disposed within the pipe. A posterior end of the pipe may be separated from the anterior portion of the body by a first orifice, and an anterior end of the pipe may be separated from the posterior portion of the front section by a second orifice.

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.

An unmanned underwater vehicle having one, some, or all of an integrated communication control fin, a ballast and trim control, a reusable trigger mechanism for a drop weight, and a visual hull display. Furthermore, associated methods are also provided.