Summary
In January,
2014 the United States Navy awarded a $7.1-million-dollar contract to Bluefin
Robotics to develop Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) based on the already
proven Bluefin 21 UUV. The effort is to
create an autonomous vehicle for long range multi-static mine hunting; anti-submarine
warfare (ASW) and mine countermeasure (MCM) (Keller, J., 2014). While unmanned aerial vehicles may get more
media attention, and be more widely discussed, this contract award illustrates
the growing demand for unmanned systems in other domains including the maritime
environment.
Discussion
HardwareOnce the mission parameters are loaded into the Bluefin 21, and the vehicle is released into the water, communications are provided through radio frequency (RF), Iridium, and acoustic signal (Bluefin Robotics).
Software
Through a graphical user interface (GUI), the operator has access to a comprehensive tool suite to develop the mission, monitor the mission execution, data management, and conduct post-mission data analysis (Bluefin Robotics, n.d.). This includes the mission planning tool, checkout and mission monitoring tools, and Lantern, the analysis and reporting tool (Bluefin Robotics, n.d.).
User Interface
The current user interface (UI) is illustrated below in figure 1. This provides a mean for the operator to interface with the vehicle. These are Microsoft Windows based applications providing the user with an easy to use, intuitive interface (Bluefin Robotics).
Figure 1 Bluefin 21 Operator Tool Suite
Negative Issues
Navigation of the current Bluefin-21 UUV is customizable and may include compass-based navigation, inertial navigation systems (INS), and Hull-Relative Navigation (Bluefin Robotics, n.d.). Bluefin Robotics is continuously working to improve navigation capabilities through research into advanced technologies such as Moving Long Base Line Navigation (MLBL) which interfaces with acoustic transponders located within the vehicle itself (Bluefin Robotics, n.d.). This allows for greater autonomy in areas where transponders would not already be present.
Recommended Changes
As Bluefin works toward developing better systems, there remain few areas not for improvement not already discussed or already being researched. One area however is in the limited communications capabilities currently available with underwater vehicles. Because RF is so restricted in an aquatic environment, these systems must either rely on acoustic communications channels or they must surface. This is a clear area for further study and research.
Conclusion
The
Bluefin-21 is already an impressive tool for the protection of naval vessels
providing a capability for mine detection and counter-measure, and
anti-submarine warfare. Newer research
will provide an even greater capability for the underwater environment through
improved sensors, communications, and navigation.
References
Bluefin-21, (n.d.). Bluefin Robotics.
Retrieved from: http://www.bluefinrobotics.com/vehicles-batteries-and-services/bluefin-21
Keller, J., (2014, April 14), Bluefin Robotics Wins $7.1 Million
Contract To Devleop Navy’s Next-Generation Underwater Drones. Military & Aerospace Electronics. Retrieved from: http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/2014/04/bluefin-black-pearl.html
Figures
Figure 1 Operator Tool
Suite. Retrieved from: http://www.bluefinrobotics.com/assets/Uploads/Maritime-Bluefin-21-UUV-01-0416.pdf
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