SBIR-STTR Award

The Phase I effort will develop and evaluate a candidate design for the 21" host vehicle launch and recovery system and the micro-UUVs. The evaluation will include: (a) an assessment of the system's ability to autonomously launch the micro-UUV at a rate of 1 every 4 minutes; (b) the anticipated low speed hydrodynamic performance of the two vehicles operating during the recovery phase, including a plan for the detailed numerical analysis to be conducted in Phase II; (c) a preliminary design of the sensors, communications methods, vehicle guidance and control algorithms required to safely rendezvous and dock the micro-UUV; and (d) a preliminary design for the mechanical and electrical connectors to affect a reliable docking, data exchange between the vehicles and recharging of the micro-UUV. An end-to-end system engineering assessment will resolve design and performance tradeoffs among various functions. The Phase I results will establish the optimum design for further simulation based design efforts in Phase II. In addition, the Phase I assessment will identify moderate and high risk components that should be prototyped and tested in the second year of the Phase II effort

We propose development and demonstration of key elements of the in-stride launch and recovery system (LRS) we analyzed in Phase I to provide capabilities of a modular, scalable LRS that can readily and quickly be mounted for small UUV launch and recovery using a range of sizes and types of larger UUV. Deliverables include in-water demonstration of autonomous recovery and of data and power transmission rates of the connector designed in Phase 1.

Keywords:
Launch, Recovery, Autonomous, Underwater, Vehicle