A magnetometer with a sensitivity of 0.01nT will be towed through the thermocline by a 2.87 meter long, 0.533 meter diameter autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to measure the magnetic fluctuations generated by oceanic internal waves. At this point, no research has been found that suggests towed magnetometer measurements have been done using an AUV. Simulations of the AUV, tow cable, and towfish are performed to provide an understanding of the effects of changing different input parameters, such as towing speed (0.5-2m/s), cable length (5-15m), vehicle trajectory (circle and vertical zig zag maneuvers), and current (0.25-1.25m/s). The AUV-cabletowfish system and equations of motion needed for the simulations are described herein. Results show that a 5m tow cable provides better towfish maneuvering than the longer cable lengths. High towfish pitch angle is decreased by decreasing the distance between CG and CB. Surface currents speed of 0.25m/s change the AUV and towfish circle maneuver to a spiral trajectory, while 1.25m/s current speed cause a zig zag trajectory. / by Lea Gabrielle Miller. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Underwater vehicles often use acoustics or dead reckoning for global positioning, which is impractical for low cost, high proximity applications. An optical based positional feedback system for a wave tank operated biomimetic station-keeping vehicle was made using an extended Kalman filter and a model of a nearby light source. After physical light model verification, the filter estimated surge, sway, and heading with 6 irradiance sensors and a low cost inertial measurement unit (~$15). Physical testing with video feedback suggests an average error of ~2cm in surge and sway, and ~3deg in yaw, over a 1200 cm2 operational area. This is 2-3 times better, and more consistent, than adaptations of prior art tested alongside the extended Kalman filter feedback system. The physical performance of the biomimetic platform was also tested. It has a repeatable forward velocity response with a max of 0.3 m/s and fair stability in surface testing conditions. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1980. / MICHROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Bradley James Deghuee. / M.S.

Thesis (Ocean E)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Ocean Engineering, 1980. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Joseph Anthony Carnevale, Jr. / Ocean E

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1980. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Vivék Ranadivé. / M.S.

The response to ship induced motions has been predicted for four towed underwater vehicles. The purpose of the study is to determine the suitability of these vehicles for their use as oceanic microstructure sensor carrying platforms. All have been used in the past for oceanic studies, and these four vehicles show the most promise for microstructure work. Transfer functions which describe the response of a towed vehicle have been determined, for longitudinal motions. Also, the motion spectra of the vehicles have been predicted for the longitudinal mode as a result of being towed by a typical research vessel in a sea state three. / M.S.

Research on collaboration among unmanned platforms is essential to improve the applications for autonomous missions, by expanding the working environment of the robotic systems, and reducing the risks and the costs associated with conducting manned operations. This research is devoted to enable the collaboration between an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) and an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), by allowing the first one to launch and recover the second one. The objective of this dissertation is to identify possible methods to launch and recover a REMUS 100 AUV from a WAM-V 16 USV, thus developing this capability by designing and implementing a launch and recovery system (LARS). To meet this objective, a series of preliminary experiments was first performed to identify two distinct methods to launch and recover the AUV: mobile and semi-stationary. Both methods have been simulated using the Orcaflex software. Subsequently, the necessary control systems to create the mandatory USV autonomy for the purpose of launch and recovery were developed. Specifically, a series of low-level controllers were designed and implemented to enable two autonomous maneuvers on the USV: station-keeping and speed & heading control. In addition, a level of intelligence to autonomously identify the optimal operating conditions within the vehicles' working environment, was derived and integrated on the USV. Lastly, a LARS was designed and implemented on the vehicles to perform the operation following the proposed methodology. The LARS and all subsystems developed for this research were extensively tested through sea-trials. The methodology for launch and recovery, the design of the LARS and the experimental findings are reported in this document. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

There have been much technological advances and research in Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) as a support and delivery platform for Autonomous/Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (AUV/UUV). Advantages include extending underwater search and survey operations time and reach, improving underwater positioning and mission awareness, in addition to minimizing the costs and risks associated with similar manned vessel operations. The objective of this thesis is to present the design and development a high-level fuzzy logic guidance controller for a WAM-V 14 USV in order to autonomously launch and recover a REMUS 100 AUV. The approach to meeting this objective is to develop ability for the USV to intercept and rendezvous with an AUV that is in transit in order to maximize the probability of a final mobile docking maneuver. Specifically, a fuzzy logic Rendezvous Docking controller has been developed that generates Waypoint-Heading goals for the USV to minimize the cross-track errors between the USV and AUV. A subsequent fuzzy logic Waypoint-Heading controller has been developed to provide the desired heading and speed commands to the low-level controller given the Waypoint-Heading goals. High-level mission control has been extensively simulated using Matlab and partially characterized in real-time during testing. Detailed simulation, experimental results and findings will be reported in this paper. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Thesis: M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 1979 / Bibliography: leaves 38-39. / by Michio Takahashi. / M.S. / M.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Cooperative control enables combinations of sensor data from multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) so that multiple AUVs can perform smarter behaviors than a single AUV. In addition, in some situations, a human-driven underwater vehicle (HUV) and a group of AUVs need to collaborate and preform formation behaviors. However, the collective dynamics of a fleet of heterogeneous underwater vehicles are more complex than the non-trivial single vehicle dynamics, resulting in challenges in analyzing the formation behaviors of a fleet of heterogeneous underwater vehicles. The research addressed in this dissertation investigates the collective dynamics and control of a fleet of heterogeneous underwater vehicles, including multi-AUV systems and systems comprised of an HUV and a group of AUVs (human-AUV systems). This investigation requires a mathematical motion model of an underwater vehicle. This dissertation presents a review of a six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) motion model of a single AUV and proposes a method of identifying all parameters in the model based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations. Using the method, we build a 6DOF model of the EcoMapper and validate the model by field experiments. Based upon a generic 6DOF AUV model, we study the collective dynamics of a multi-AUV system and develop a method of decomposing the collective dynamics. After the collective dynamics decomposition, we propose a method of achieving orientation control for each AUV and formation control for the multi-AUV system. We extend the results and propose a cooperative control for a human-AUV system so that an HUV and a group of AUVs will form a desired formation while moving along a desired trajectory as a team. For the post-mission stage, we present a method of analyzing AUV survey data and apply this method to AUV measurement data collected from our field experiments carried out in Grand Isle, Louisiana in 2011, where AUVs were used to survey a lagoon, acquire bathymetric data, and measure the concentration of reminiscent crude oil in the water of the lagoon after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.