Paco Santana of iRobot explains the current state of art for maritime robotics and the way ahead. The brief can be found here
http://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/AUVSI/656942e4-4448-41c3-877d-0c5f3ea40e63/UploadedImages/presentations/Apr282011/IRobot.pdf
2. iRobot Proprietary
+
NEKTON RESEARCH, LLC
•Innovative • From the Lab into the
•Talented Engineers World
•Connected • Producibility
• Experience Delivering
Globally
3. iRobot Proprietary
Maritime Robots
In the Water:
• Seaglider
In Development:
• Ranger
• Transphibian
• Reacquire, Identify, Localize, Swimmer (RILS)
• Next Generation Torpedo Counter Measures
In Concept:
• Air Deployable AUV Platform for Sensors (ADAPS)
4. iRobot Proprietary
Seaglider
Highlights:
• 15,000+ days at sea
• 70% at 1000m depths
• NAVO uses 15 Seagliders
• Exceeds 10 months at sea
• 5500km Range
5. iRobot Proprietary
World Record UUV Endurance
SG144 – Ocean Station Papa Mission*
6/14/2009 – 4/2/2010
Dives: 878
Duration at Sea: 9.6 months
Vertical Distance through Water: 1734 km
Horizontal Distance over Ground: 5076 km
Horizontal Distance through Water: 6798m
Velocities through Water:
Max Horizontal: 39.9 cm/s
Average Horizontal: 21.6
cm/s
Max Vertical: 9.3 cm/s
Average Vertical: 6.25 cm/s
Total Battery Remaining after Mission:
13.6%
*Data includes a 1300km transit back to
coastal pickup location.
SG144 – Entire Ocean Station Papa Mission
Including a 1300km transect back to coastal pickup location
6. iRobot Proprietary
Seaglider
Specifications:
• Body: 1.8m long, 30cm maximum
diameter
• Wing span: 1m
• Antenna mast length: 1m
• Weight: 52kg (dry)
• Power: Lithium primaries, 24V
and 10V packs, 17μJ
Guidance and Control: • Speed: 25cm/s (1/2kt)
• Dead reckoning using 3-axis • Glide angle: 16-45°
digital compass
• Kalman filter prediction
• Acoustic altimetry system
• Bathymetry map system
7. iRobot Proprietary
Seaglider
Sensors:
• Conductivity, Temperature &
Depth
• Dissolved Oxygen
• Backscatter/Flourometer
• Photosynthetically Active
Radiation (PAR)
Expanding Capabilities:
• Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler
• Acoustic Recorders
• CO2
• Hydrocarbon
14. iRobot Proprietary
RILS
Operational Capability
•Transit: >8kts
•Sonar: 450kHz Horizontal Beam 45°
FOV, 100m Range 900kHz Vertical
Beam 45° FOV, 60m Range 5 frame
per second update rate
•Mass: 25kg, single man deployable
•Radio: 2.4GHz, 1km Range, other
radio options are available
•User Interface: Laptop, Dual monitors with BlueView Sonar imagery or
Top side camera video on one monitor. Other monitor displays
overhead view of operations area with vehicle represented at currently
reported GPS coordinates. Vehicle Telemetry - depth, speed, pitch,
roll and magnetic heading is also displayed.
16. iRobot Proprietary
Next Generation Countermeasures Mod X
•Sub/ship defense torpedo countermeasures
•Up to 15 kts
•Compatible with 3” signal ejector tube
•High efficiency acoustics projector with towed
hydrophone
17. iRobot Proprietary
Recap of Maritime Robots
In the Water:
• Seaglider
• Endurance
• Buoyancy-driven
In Development:
• Ranger
• Compact size
• Propeller-driven
• Transphibian
• 6 degrees of freedom
• Fin-driven
• Reacquire, Identify, Localize, Swimmer (RILS)
• Speed
• Next Generation Torpedo Counter Measures
• Deployable wings for lift
19. iRobot Proprietary
Challenges with existing AUV CONOPS:
Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Notional Mission Cycles – BPAUV example
Launch Post‐Launch
BPAUV
Time (hrs): 6 1 2 12 8
(Bluefin 12)
Pre‐Launch Sortie Turnaround Post Mission
Manning: 5 ‐ 6 5 6 3 ‐ 5 4
• Equipment Prep. • Recovery • Recovery
Weight: ~750 lbs. • Position Vehicle • Turnaround Vehicle • Post Mission Ops.
10’ L x 21” D • Launch Prep. • Launch
Size:
•About 1/3rd to half of mission energy consumed by
transit to target zone
•29 hours before data is available from mission
inception
•Average of 5 people to man mission
20. iRobot Proprietary
CNO Guidance for 2011*
Navy will invest in UUV Endurance
“Way Ahead:
• We will pursue unmanned systems as an integrated part of our
force, ensuring that the move to ‘unmanned’ truly reduces
personnel requirements.
•We will develop a long-endurance, safe power source for UUVs”
*Executing the Maritime Strategy” (1 October 2010 )
“Roughead says he wants to spend about 50% of available UUV research
and development money on improving their endurance. Ultimately he
would like to see 3-4 weeks of endurance and reserve power for some
higher-speed maneuvers and to handle strong underwater currents.”
Aviation Week, 8-25-2010: CNO Speaks about Unmanned Vehicles at AUVSI
23. iRobot Proprietary
Future air deployment of AUV’s near targets of interest will
reduce transit time, improves tactical utility and relevance
24. iRobot Proprietary
Reduced turnaround time on AUV missions is enabled by
new digital data link relays deployed on maritime UAV’s
ADAPS passively loitering on surface to establish data link to relay
collected data and receive commands from remote control site
25. iRobot Proprietary
ADAPS Concept Illustration
Antenna for
communication when
surfaced
Buoyancy changing
mechanism
Wings to supply lift for
gliding
Vectored thruster to
provide auxiliary or
primary propulsion and
heading control