US 2016/0176487 A1 · System and Method for Automated Rendezvous, Docking and Capture of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Abstract

A system for automated rendezvous, docking, and capture of autonomous underwater vehicles at the conclusion of a mission comprising of comprised of a docking rod having lighted, pulsating (in both frequency and light intensity) series of LED light strips thereon, with the LEDs at a known spacing, and the autonomous underwater vehicle specially designed to detect and capture the docking rod and then be lifted structurally by a spherical end strop about which the vehicle can be pivoted and hoisted up (e.g., onto a ship). The method of recovery allows for very routine and reliable automated recovery of an unmanned underwater asset.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An automated rendezvous and docking system for autonomous underwater vehicles comprising:

an autonomous underwater vehicle;
a docking rod releasably connected to said autonomous underwater vehicle, said docking rod having a top end and a bottom end, said bottom end configured to a sphere having a diameter larger than said docking rod;
a structural support member within said docking rod, said structural support member traversing the length of said docking rod;
an annulus surrounding said structural support member and having a plurality of channels radially about the surface of said annulus;
a plurality of LED light strips within said plurality of channels of said annulus;
and
a hollow external tube surrounding said annulus and said plurality of LED light strips therein.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and Method for Automated Rendezvous, Docking and Capture of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Life of this patent

System and Method for Automated Rendezvous, Docking and Capture of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18