109 energy to do the job and return to base. Instead of the classic torpedo shape for an AUV, the Aquanaut has a broad, flattened body, and features an oval ring tail that supports the primary pair of propulsive thrusters. For manoeuvring and station-keeping, it has a set of tunnel thrusters – lateral and vertical, mounted front and rear – and an angled pair in the mid-body area. Its lithium-ion battery pack has a capacity of more than 100 kWh, providing an average range of around 200 km, depending on the selected transit speed, which is typically between 3 and 6 knots. Sensing and perception The Aquanaut has an array of perception sensors that include passive and active light systems as well as active sonar. By fusing the data from them, the Aquanaut builds a detailed model of its local environment. It then makes use of this model in deciding how to achieve the goals the operator has set for it. The sensor suite is highly integrated with the Aquanaut’s semi-autonomous capabilities, and allows it to complete a wide range of tasks and objectives. This is one of the characteristics that distinguishes it from operations using traditional ROVs, in which specialised sensors are often swapped out for different tasks. The sensors, individually and in combination, were selected to support semi-autonomous operation, a choice informed by years of testing and evaluation on test beds and engineering prototypes. Akinyode describes the resolution and accuracy of these sensors as “more than adequate” to support the requirements associated with customer tasks. The 3D perception system makes use of multiple sensing systems. These include a Voyis Discovery 3D stereo camera with integrated Nova Mini lights, plus Nauticus’ own 3D structured light system. A structured light system projects a pattern, such as a set of stripes, onto an object, and the object’s 3D shape distorts the pattern in imagery captured by a 2D camera. Knowing the original pattern, the software measures the distortions and calculates the 3D shape that caused them. This is complemented by a 2D Voyis Observer imaging system with Nova Micro lights, along with a Blueprint Oculus M1200d imaging sonar. A Voyis Insight Pro laser scanner, a Coda Octopus Echoscope C500 realtime 3D sonar, and a Marine Sonic Sea Scan ARC Scout MkII sidescan sonar comprise the survey and mapping suite. The Aquanaut also carries a set of subsea integrity tools that includes a cathodic protection probe to assess the condition of the corrosion protection systems on underwater hardware, a wall thickness measurement system and a cleaning brush. Nauticus Robotics Aquanaut Mk2 | Digest We spent a lot of time on software development, specifically how to operate these complex robotic platforms across poor comms links Uncrewed Systems Technology | October/November 2023 A combination of tail-mounted axial thrusters and vertical, horizontal and angled tunnel thrusters provide the Aquanaut Mk2 with its propulsion, manoeuvring and station-keeping capabilities within a hydrodynamically efficient profile Technicians inspect cabling through the hull hatch aperture. Packaging the computing, sensing and manipulation systems plus the high-capacity battery and propulsion components in the volume available was a major design challenge
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