Bathy-drone: an autonomous unmanned drone-tethered sonar system
AssigneeUniversity of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorsPeter G. Ifju, Andrew Everette Ortega, Henry Tingle, Antonio Diaz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various examples are provided related to autonomous unmanned drone-tethered sonar systems. In one embodiment, a bathy-drone system includes an unmanned payload vessel and an unmanned drone tethered to the payload vessel through the tether attachment point. The unmanned payload vessel can include a sensor or sensor suite coupled to a bottom of the payload vessel and a tether attachment point through which propulsive force can be applied to the payload vessel. The drone can autonomously transport the payload vessel to and from a survey location and autonomously propel the payload vessel along a survey path at the survey location.
Claims16
A Bathy-drone system, comprising:
- an unmanned payload vessel comprising a sensor or sensor suite coupled to a bottom of the payload vessel and a tether attachment point through which propulsive force is applied to the payload vessel, the payload vessel comprising a trim plate extending from a stern of the payload vessel;
- and
- an unmanned drone tethered to the payload vessel through the tether attachment point, the unmanned drone capable of autonomously transporting the payload vessel to and from a survey location and autonomously propelling the payload vessel along a survey path at the survey location, where the trim plate is angled downward aft of the stern thereby providing a speed-dependent pitching moment that maintains the payload vessel level as it is propelled by the unmanned drone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.