The present invention relates to a marine structure comprising a launch and recovery system for a submersible vehicle, and methods of operating the marine structure. The system comprises: a docking receiver, a towing head comprising a locking mechanism and being connectable to the docking receiver (13), a towing arrangement adapted to mechanically connect the towing head to the marine structure and being adapted to control the distance between the towing head and the docking receiver, and a lifting device connected to the docking receiver and being adapted to move the docking receiver relative to the marine structure. The lifting device can arrange the docking receiver in a towing head receiving and/or releasing position in which the docking receiver: (i) is completely submerged into the body of water, and (ii) is prevented from moving relative to the marine structure.

An autonomous underwater system for environmental monitoring including a multidisciplinary underwater station including onboard instrumentation, at least one autonomous modular underwater vehicle movable inside an area to be monitored along an assigned route, and at least one external instrumental modulus which can be connected to the vehicle, wherein the multidisciplinary underwater station includes a docking area, an interface system, an equipping system for supplying the vehicle with instrumental moduli, and a management system.

Autonomous craft capable of extended duration operations as lighter-than-air craft, having the ability to alight on the surface of a body of water and generate hydrogen gas for lift via electrolysis using power derived from a photovoltaic system, as well as methods of launching an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having a deployable envelope from a surface of a body of water.

A floatable-material harvester is disclosed, including vacuum source, transport hose, and a floatable-material receiver. In one embodiment, the transport hose has at least one air inductor/intake along its length, which allows air to enter the transport hose to accelerate its contents, by negative pressure air induction. In another embodiment, a transport hose has at least one floatable-material thruster along its length, comprised of at least one nozzle, which provides pressurized fluid (e.g., air or water) in the direction of the flow of the harvested floatable material by positive pressure induction. A method is disclosed whereby the floatable material harvester is used to harvest an absorbent material (e.g., wood chips, straw, perlite, zeolite, polypropylene mesh, titanate nanofibres) that has absorbed a pollutant (e.g., oil, solvent, radioactive isotopes) from a beach or in water.

Underwater navigational systems and methods utilizing sunlight polarized via scattering through the water column that does not require an underwater vehicle to surface or use a global position system to maintain precise navigational positions and headings. These navigational systems and methods may be employed by manned or unmanned underwater vehicles and may be utilized by individual units and by units operating in a swarm.

A docking/charging module for an undersea autonomous vehicle comprises a housing allowing the undersea autonomous vehicle to dock, thereby establishing both a data connection and a power connection between the module and the vehicle, the module being equipped with the battery which is charged from an undersea cable having a power conductor which may charge the undersea autonomous vehicle via the power connection when the undersea autonomous vehicle is docked with or in proximity to the docking/charging module.

A method including propelling a vehicle disposed in a medium. The vehicle includes a body, a propulsion mechanism connected to the body, and a direction control system. The vehicle is subject to advection caused by movement of the medium. The method also includes commanding the vehicle to perform a navigation course comprising a closed course-over-ground. The method also includes periodically adjusting navigation of the vehicle along the closed course-over-ground such that a course-through-the-medium turn-rate is varied in a manner that causes a course-over-ground turn-rate of the vehicle to be held constant, thereby minimizing the impact of medium advection on vehicle speed over ground.

A wheel-legged amphibious mobile robot with a variable attack angle, which belongs to the technical field of robot structure technology. The robot includes three parts: motion unit, body trunk and power unit. As a key structure, the motion unit mainly includes a moving mechanism, a wheel assembly, a telescopic mechanism and a transmission device. The robot drives the telescopic mechanism to reciprocate linearly through a gear and rack set, and pushes “legs” to expand and retract, so as to realize a mutual switching between a wheeled mode and a gait mode. Under transmission of bevel gear set, the blades can rotate at any same angle at the same time, to change the attack angle and realize the steering. The robot provided by the present disclosure can effectively adapt to a complex and harsh amphibious environment, and meet a series of operation requirements such as rapid movement, obstacle climbing, underwater steering.

A robotic fish includes a front body, a rear body that includes a first segment and a second segment, and a driving unit. The first segment has a front engaging portion projecting toward and pivotally connected to the front body, and a rear engaging portion formed with a recess that recedes toward the front body and pivotally connected to the second segment. The driving unit includes a motor disposed in the front engaging portion, and a shaft extending along a dorsoventral axis and connecting the motor and the rear connecting portion. A ratio of a distance between the shaft and a foremost edge of the front engaging portion to a distance between the foremost edge and an extreme point of the recess ranges from 0.075 to 0.75.

Implementations described and claimed herein provide an underwater vehicle includes a vehicle body having a frame enclosed by a fairing. The vehicle body extends between a proximal end and a distal end and defining an interior. A nose is disposed at the proximal end of the vehicle body. The nose has a tow system configured to move between a tow position and a stow position. A propulsion system is disposed at the distal end of the vehicle body. The propulsion system includes a plurality of control fins and a thruster. A power distribution system is housed in the interior of the vehicle body. The power distribution system includes a first power system housed in a first pressure vessel and a second power system housed in a second pressure vessel. The first pressure vessel is isolated from the second pressure vessel.