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.
System and Method for Automated Rendezvous, Docking and Capture of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
2016-06-23
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
System and method for automated rendezvous, docking and capture of autonomous underwater vehicles
European Patent Office | 2018
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