"MARINE BIRD", a new experimental AUV with underwater docking and recharging system

TLDR

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles typically require surfacing for refueling and data download, consuming time, manpower, and increasing costs, especially for long‑term monitoring. The paper proposes underwater docking and recharging concepts to eliminate surfacing, enabling fully autonomous AUV operations. We developed the MARINE BIRD AUV with a novel docking and recharging system based on a unique concept distinct from prior designs, and tested it in dock trials. Docking trials showed the MARINE BIRD successfully docked and recharged, demonstrating autonomous docking capability and supporting the feasibility of a fully autonomous underwater monitoring system.

Abstract

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), used by marine scientists mainly, have to refuel and download data regularly. Usually, AUVs resurface and are recovered for these routine tasks, but surfacing waste time and manpower for AUV's launch and recovery on a support ship. Especially, the cost of manpower on the support ship is in problem for long-term monitoring. To solve these problems, some concepts of underwater docking and recharging, that AUV docks with a fixed (or mobile) base, to recharge its batteries and download data, are suggested. When AUVs need no surfacing for routine tasks by this system, it will become a 'completely autonomous' underwater observation and monitoring system in the future. Some devices of underwater docking and recharging system for AUVs have been suggested and underwater-tested in U.S. and Europe, but we have developed a new experimental AUV, called "MARINE BIRD" with new underwater docking and recharging system. This system is based on an original, unique concept, different from previous ones. We have also carried out docking trials in the dock, the MARINE BIRD succeeded the docking test and demonstrated the excellence of its autonomous docking capability. This paper introduces an overview of MARINE BIRD, docking and recharging system, and test results of docking test.