The Self-Mooring AUV is capable of mooring itself on the seafloor for extended periods of time. The mooring anchor is a false nose that is released when the AUV arrives at the desired mooring location. The AUV was designed for up to 500 meter depth. It can transit over 100 nautical miles while reserving approximately half of its energy budget for lower-power operation while moored. Virginia Tech and the Naval Oceanographic Office collaborated on the development of the Self-Mooring AUV.
Length: 74" w/o anchor, 89" with achor
Diameter: 6.9"
Range: 100 nm @ 4 knots using ~50% of energy budget
Communication: 802.11g, 900MHz RF, acoustic modem, satellite comms
Publications
R. Briggs, B. McCarter, W. L. Neu and D. J. Stilwell, "Design elements of a prototype self-mooring AUV," OCEANS 2010 MTS/IEEE SEATTLE, Seattle, WA, 2010, pp. 1-8.
B. McCarter et al., "Design and testing of a Self-Mooring AUV," 2012 Oceans, Hampton Roads, VA, 2012, pp. 1-8.
Briggs, Robert Clayton. Mechanical design of a self-mooring autonomous underwater vehicle. Virginia Tech, 2010.
