Advanced UUV technology

Abstract

Provides an overview of unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) developments in such technology areas as propulsion, precise navigation, acoustic communication, low-speed vehicle control, stealth, robotics, and mission control, and concentrates on developments and demonstrations in these areas by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division, Newport, RI, and its co-development partners. UUV technologies that are discussed include both thermal and electric propulsion systems capable of very long endurance; both traditional and non-traditional navigation technologies, with traditional navigation encompassing improved inertial navigation, Doppler velocity sonar, and data fusion, and non-traditional techniques including terrain following, geophysical, and magnetic lines of position; acoustic underwater communications technologies that feature a high data rate and low bit error rate using channel equalization techniques; low-speed hydrodynamic control that employs an adaptive, nonlinear controller; and finally, command and control systems that utilize an intelligent controller with such capabilities as planning, replanning, and fault tolerance. >