An offshore facility evacuation system that includes a submerged-floating pod (SFP) unit adapted to be positioned in a body of water adjacent an offshore facility, and a SFP station of the offshore facility adapted to launch the SFP unit from the facility. The SFP unit including a SFP controller, an SFP escape line to extend between the SFP station and the SFP unit to provide a path for moving persons from the SFP station to the SFP unit while the SFP unit is floating in the body of water, a SFP landing base including an inflatable platform to provide a landing area for persons, a SFP depth control system to regulate submergence of the SFP unit, a SFP location control system to control a location of the SFP unit, and a SFP communication system to provide communication with the SFP unit, and personal evacuation devices (PEDs).

A pump-less buoyancy engine for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) includes a buoyancy reduction structure without a hydraulic pump for reducing the buoyancy of the AUV to cause the AUV to descend in the water; and a weight dropping structure for dropping prepackaged weights out of the AUV to cause the AUV to ascend in the water, where the AUV moves forward when descending and ascending.

A method of deploying autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the method comprising loading the AUVs into a deployment device; submerging the deployment device containing the AUVs after the AUVs have been loaded into the deployment device; towing the submerged deployment device containing the AUVs with a surface vessel; deploying the AUVs from the submerged deployment device as it is towed by the surface vessel; and operating a thruster of each AUV after it has been deployed so that it moves away from the submerged deployment device. A method of retrieving autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is also disclosed, the method comprising towing a submerged retrieval device with a surface vessel; loading the AUVs into the submerged retrieval device as it is towed by the surface vessel; and after the AUVs have been loaded into the submerged retrieval device, lifting the submerged retrieval device containing the AUVs out of the water and onto the surface vessel.

The present invention is applicable to the technical field of marine equipment and provides a hybrid-driven mooring chain cleaning and structural inspection underwater robot and a working method thereof. The hybrid-driven mooring chain cleaning and structural inspection underwater robot includes at least one frame structure; a buoyancy system disposed on the frame structure and used for adjusting the buoyancy of the robot; a driving system disposed on the frame structure; underwater observation and communication systems disposed on the frame structure and used for underwater observation; a cleaning system disposed on the frame structure and used for cleaning a mooring chain; an active clasping/unclasping system disposed on the frame structure; and a structural inspection system disposed on the frame structure.

The main components of an exemplary inventive simulation are a towing platform (such as a ship), a towed body, an underwater vehicle (such as a UUV), and a tow cable connecting the towing platform and the towed body. An objective of the dynamic arrangement of the components is to perform a “line capture” of the moving vehicle by the cable. Respective motions and positions of the towing platform and the towed body affect the cable. Waves and currents in the water, as well as changes in catenary and tension of the cable, affect the tow body. Advantageously, the invention more accurately accounts not only for continuities, but also for discontinuities, characterizing the dynamic interrelationships between and among the components. Among the invention's features is its ability to “trigger” consideration of certain dynamic manifestations relating to the vehicle, depending on whether or not the vehicle is in a captured state.

A system for deploying and recovering an autonomous underwater device (AUD) using a surface carrier ship, includes, in addition to the carrier ship, a subaquatic vehicle (SV) guided by a connection wire connected to the carrier ship, the SV able to be positioned in a storage configuration wherein the SV is fixedly but removably joined to the carrier ship in a storage zone, or in a configuration for use, in which the SV, separated from the carrier ship, is in the water and at a distance from the carrier ship while remaining connected by the connection wire, the SV including propulsion, guiding and stabilizing systems and a station for receiving the AUD allowing it to be removably attached to the SV, the receiving station and the AUD including a complementary automated docking unit allowing the AUD to automatically dock with the receiving station during recovery and attach itself thereto.

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.

The present invention proposes a rescue system and method for man overboard with remote monitoring, which is implemented by a rescue system consisted of an onboard processing unit, a distress signal module, an unmanned rescue vehicle, an autonomous ship, a communication module, and a shore control center (SCC). The technical effect of the present invention is that when a person falls into the water, the unmanned rescue vehicle can automatically locate and monitor the falling target immediately, and the shore control center (SCC) can accurately locate the relative position between the unmanned rescue vehicle and the ship where the person falls. Thereby, the shore control center (SCC) can control the rescue process throughout the entire process and release rescue device for rescue.

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.

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.