AMUV and UUV Autonomous Mine Detection Neutralization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current underwater mine detection and neutralization systems lack autonomous and covert capabilities, often requiring human intervention and posing risks to personnel during operations.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising an autonomous mother unmanned underwater vehicle (AMUV) and auxiliary unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) that autonomously detect, identify, and neutralize mines using sensors, communication systems, and navigation, allowing for autonomous operation and covert data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional underwater mine detection and neutralization systems are used, then human personnel can perform detection and neutralization tasks, but personnel safety is compromised due to the hazardous nature of mine handling
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles that can independently detect, identify, and neutralize mines without requiring human operators to be present in the hazardous environment. The AMUV and auxiliary UUVs perform self-navigation, self-detection, and self-neutralization tasks, eliminating the need for human personnel to directly handle dangerous mine clearance operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces unmanned underwater vehicles as intermediary agents between human operators and hazardous mines. These vehicles serve as mediators that can approach, detect, and neutralize mines at a safe distance, transferring the dangerous task from human personnel to autonomous mechanical systems while maintaining operational control
2Reliability
If traditional mine detection methods are employed, then mines can be detected and neutralized, but the operations are not covert and may alert adversaries
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces traditional mechanical and acoustic mine neutralization methods with optical-based detection and silent neutralization techniques. The auxiliary UUVs use optical sensors for detection and can employ silent neutralization methods such as cutting or disabling mechanisms that do not produce acoustic signatures, enabling covert operations that do not alert adversaries
3Device complexity
If a single large underwater vehicle is used for both detection and neutralization, then system complexity is reduced, but the vehicle cannot safely approach mines for neutralization
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the mine clearance task into two separate functional modules: an autonomous mother unmanned vehicle (AMUV) responsible for detection and identification, and auxiliary unmanned vehicles (UUVs) responsible for neutralization. This segmentation allows the detection vehicle to remain at a safe distance while the smaller auxiliary vehicles perform the hazardous neutralization task
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary UUVs are transported and deployed by the AMUV in a nested configuration. The AMUV carries the auxiliary vehicles and deploys them when mines are detected, creating a hierarchical structure where the larger vehicle supports the smaller vehicles, which then perform the dangerous neutralization function independently
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for underwater use. In one example the system includes an autonomous mother unmanned underwater vehicle (AMUV) and one or more auxiliary unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV). The AMUV is configured for autonomously searching for and detecting undersea objects potentially present in an undersea region of interest (ROI), for generating object information relating to the objects detected thereby to enable identification of at least one object of interest (OOI) among the detected objects, and for selectively transporting the UUV to at least within a predetermined distance from a location of the OOI. The UUV is configured for interacting with the OOI at least within the predetermined distance. Such a system is further configured for providing verification information indicative of the interaction between the UUV and the OOI. The AMUV includes a communications system at least configured for transmitting at one or both of the verification information and the object information.