Design and Testing of Autonomous Next-Generation Amphibious Underwater Vehicle
Abstract
(Approved for Public Release)The overarching goal is to develop and test a fully-autonomous amphibious underwater vehicle (UUV) utilizing retractable cycloidal propellers capable of 360� of instantaneous thrust vectoring using cyclic blade pitch control as well as variable rotational speed control for superior stability and maneuverability underwater in the presence of breaking waves along with a conventional screw-propeller to enable efficient propulsion for high-speed cruise. A stretch goal is to integrate a deployable/launchable micro air vehicle (MAV) to the amphibious UUV to enhance ISR capability and also improve the path-planning of the UUV formore complex missions.Bringing such a transformative technology to fruition requires a multidisciplinary approach with a principledunderstanding of the hydromechanics, dynamics, vehicle design/fabrication, and the complex control architecture of such a system aswell as innovations in vision-based control and path-planning for autonomous navigation on land and under water. The three key knowledge gaps we have identified are (1) the dynamics and control of this novel vehicle with an unconventional hull-shape and propelled/controlled by a combination of cycloidal propellers and conventional screw propellers is complicated, (2) the physics of force production on a cycloidal propeller and its coupling with body dynamics in the presence of waves in the surf zone is not understood, (3)autonomous control and navigation of an amphibious vehicle both in water and land from both mapping/control software/hardware (sensors) and wireless telemetry standpoints is in its incipient stages. The specific research objectives that are carefully chosen to address these knowledge gaps are (1) design and build a significantly improved version of the technology demonstrator prototype built in the previous phases, (2) improve the hull design and the control hardware/software to integrate the sensor package developed at University of Michigan (UM) and path-planning algorithms from University of Iowa (UI) to enable autonomous navigation under water andon land, (3) conduct systematic testing on the 6-DOF motion platform in the towing tank at UI to identify linear dynamic models, which will improve understanding of the coupling between the vehicle hydrodynamics and dynamics as well as aid the development of model-based control laws in the future, (4) evaluate performance of the amphibious vehicle prototype in different operating conditions via testing at the wave basin at the UI, (5) develop a sub 1-lb MAV that can be deployed from the UUV platform in the land mode (stretch goal), and (6) conduct field testing of the entire system in collaboration with UM and UI.The ultimate outcome of the proposed project will be a revolutionary amphibious platform demonstrator prototype capable of efficient, agile, autonomous, and robust mobility in both sea, land and sea-land interface, which could be a key enabling technology for the Navy. The key highlights of the final system will be (1) a novel underwater propulsion system, which has the potential to exploit unsteady hydrodynamics to obtain large dynamic lift coefficients, the capability of instantaneous 360� thrust vectoring, significantly lower operating rpm, and coincidentally, lends itself easily for an agile amphibious platform, (2) the ability to seamlessly transition from one mode of locomotion to another with minimal mechanical complexity, (3) autonomous operational capability on both land and under water, and (4) a deployable MAV integrated to the amphibious UUV to enhance ISR capability. Such a system could instigate a paradigm shift in amphibious vehicle technology and could revolutionize the capabilities of the Navy in the years to come.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 15, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312410
Entities
People
- Benedict Moble
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Texas Engineering Experiment Station
- United States Navy