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.

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.

A subsea vehicle capable of supporting inspection of underwater objects while underway includes a body that provides a capability to allow the subsea vehicle to submerge underwater and follow or position near an object while maintaining an orientation to the object appropriate for inspection of, and safety requirements for, the object. The vehicle includes a set of deployable, semi-rigid arms to support the movement of inspection sensor probes near or lightly touching the inspection target with the probes. A controller helps tracks the intended inspection object using various sensor inputs along with a priori knowledge of the object to drive and position the subsea vehicle such that the appropriate orientation to the inspection target is maintained.

The invention discloses an integrated detection method of electromagnetic searching, locating and tracking for subsea cables. After being launched into water, the cable-tracking AUV carries out primary Z-shaped reciprocating sailing to search the electromagnetic signal of the target subsea cable, when the electromagnetic signal reaches a preset threshold value, the AUV executes the cable-tracking detection. In the tracking process, if the target electromagnetic signal intensity is lower than the preset threshold, it is determined that subsea cable tracking is lost. At this time, the secondary Z-shaped cable-researching route planning and tracking are performed based on the lost point. In the process that the AUV autonomously tracks and detects the subsea cable, relative locating between AUV and subsea cable is performed based on the electromagnetic signal radiated by the subsea cable, and autonomous tracking control under the guidance of the electromagnetic locating signal is performed.

The present invention provides an operating method and an operating system of a multiple underwater vehicles 30, wherein exploration missions and exploration depths of the multiple underwater vehicles 30 are differently set in the underwater vehicles 30 for exploring a water bottom, the multiple underwater vehicles 30 are submerged to the respective set exploration depths, the multiple underwater vehicles 30 are made to cruise at the respective set exploration depths to execute the exploration missions, and execution results of the exploration missions are recorded and/or transmitted. According to this, it is possible to deploy and operate the multiple underwater vehicles and safely and efficiently explore the water bottom.

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 main body of the vehicle is a spherical body.

A cleat for mooring a watercraft at a thrown end of a line has a base surmounted by a body, the base being fastenable to a watercraft deck, the line having a rope and stopper formed by a transverse protuberance, the cleat having an engagement part adjoining the base and a funnel-shaped through-opening to an elongate slot in the body, the slot having a height allowing the longitudinal progression and transverse passage of the rope from the opening towards the interior of the body, the slot leading into a chamber having a minimum dimension greater than the minimum slot height, the maximum dimension of the chamber being less than the dimension of the protuberance forming the stopper so the stopper of a line passing transversely through the body can be blocked against a the body side face both with the rope in the slot and in the chamber.

A system for inspecting flexible pipelines comprises a data analyzer, a data collector and an ultrasonic transducer. Further, the ultrasonic transducer is adapted to propagate shear wave into the annulus of the flexible pipeline. The data collector further comprises a data store and a communicator. Further, the system is capable of differentiating flooding and non-flooding condition of the annulus of the flexible pipeline which is subjected to high pressure. Using the system, an indicator of a flooded or non-flooded condition within the flexible pipeline may be calculated using transmitted and detected reflective waves or the lack of detected reflective waves.

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 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 mechanisms that magnetically attach and release configurable elements from the vehicle.