Patent classifications
B63G2008/002
HYBRID UNMANNED UNDERWATER VEHICLE
An unmanned underwater vehicle having movable thrusters between a first configuration, in which axes of rotation of both the thrusters, when co-planar, are parallel, and a second configuration, in which the axes of rotation of both the thrusters, when co-planar, interest. The thrusters may also rotate about the pylons that attach the thrusters to the body of the unmanned underwater vehicle. Also a method of operating the unmanned underwater vehicle in both configurations.
Methods For Vehicle Propulsion
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 modular propulsion system with magnetic drive.
NOVEL UNDERWATER ROBOT WATER QUALITY DATA ACQUISITION DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF
A novel underwater robot water quality data acquisition device includes a casing, a thruster group, an upper cabin, a lower cabin, a buoy cabin, an upper cabin tray, a lower cabin tray, a power supply assembly, a power conditioning module, a data acquisition control module, a water quality sensor assembly, and a wireless Internet of Things (IoT) module. The device can convert the power supply voltage required by each other module through the power management module. The data acquisition control module transmits signals to the water quality sensor assembly in a set timing sequence, performs real-time reading and processing of water quality data fed back from the sensor, and uploads the processed water quality data to the data platform through the wireless IoT module, thereby achieving the display and preservation of water quality data.
Systems and methods for passively controlling pressure within a cryogenic storage tank
An all mechanically controlled, non-venting pressure control system for liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen cryogenic tanks that requires no electrical control while managing disparate, non-stoichiometric reactant boil-off rates is provided. The pressure control system allows for the passive and repeatable stoichiometric consumption of hydrogen and oxygen boil-off from cryogenic tanks to form liquid water, while preventing the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen cryogenic tanks from overpressurizing and venting to the external environment. More particularly, in response to an overpressure condition in a first reactant reservoir, a backpressure regulator is opened, providing the overpressure first reactant to a fuel cell or other consumer, and providing a pilot signal to open a supply line from a second reactant reservoir to the consumer. Whether the second reactant is supplied from the second reactant reservoir as gas or a liquid is determined based on the pressure within the second reactant reservoir.
SUBMERSIBLE VESSEL
A submersible vessel includes: a hull; a propulsor that propels the hull; a front sensor that sequentially detects locations of an inspection target in front of the hull; a controller that controls the propulsor such that the hull passes through above the detected locations; a movable arm attached to an arm reference point of the hull; an inspection tool at the movable arm that inspects the inspection target; and a position detector that acquires positional information including a position, attitude, or speed of the hull. Based on the information from the position detector, the controller estimates a pass-through position of the arm reference point after a predetermined time. The controller controls the movable arm such that before the time elapses, a positional relation between the arm reference point and inspection tool becomes a positional relation between the estimated pass-through position and a target point on or above each location.
Machine learning based automated object recognition for unmanned autonomous vehicles
A platform is positioned within an environment. The platform includes an image capture system connected to a controller implementing a neural network. The neural network is trained to associate visual features within the environment with a target object utilizing a known set of input data examples and labels. The image capture system captures input images from the environment and the neural network recognizes features of one or more of the input images that at least partially match one or more of the visual features within the environment associated with the target object. The input images that contain the visual features within the environment that at least partially match the target object are labeled, a geospatial position of the target object is determined based upon pixels within the labeled input images, and a class activation map is generated, which is then communicated to a supervisory system for action.
Method and apparatus for positioning the center of mass on an unmanned underwater vehicle
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 module that enables the vehicle to adjust the position of the center of mass to trim the vehicle for efficient operations or to alter the stability and control parameters of the vehicle.
PIVOTING AUV/UUV DOCK FOR USE WITH A WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER
An AUV/UUV docking station is provided that is tethered to a wave energy converter that is in turn tethered to a flotation buoy. The AUV/UUV docking station has a cone for directing an AUV/UUV into a charging dock that is rotatable between a horizontal docking position and a vertical charging position such that in the vertical position the docking station and docked AUV/UUV have a reduced profile so as not to interfere with the operation of the wave energy converter. Energy from the wave energy converter is directed to the dock to charge the AUV/UUV.
Fixed-wing aerial underwater vehicle and control method thereof
A fixed-wing aerial underwater vehicle includes a shell component, a flight component and a pneumatic buoyancy component. The flight component includes a fixed wing and rotors, and the fixed wing and the rotors are mounted in the shell component. The pneumatic buoyancy component includes an air bladder and an inflation and deflation portion, and the inflation and deflation portion can inflate and deflate the air bladder. The air bladder is installed on the shell component, a containing space is formed in the shell component, and the inflation and deflation portion is partially or entirely installed in the containing space. Each rotor includes a rotor supporting rod, a motor base, a motor and a propeller, which are sequentially connected. A control method for the fixed-wing aerial underwater vehicle mentioned above is further provided.
Scuttle module for field configurable vehicle
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 module that enables the vehicle to be scuttled or destroyed.