Paco Santana of iRobot explains the current state of art for maritime robotics and the way ahead. The brief can be found here http://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/AUVSI/656942e4-4448-41c3-877d-0c5f3ea40e63/UploadedImages/presentations/Apr282011/IRobot.pdf

1. Maritime Systems
Overview
Paco Santana

2. iRobot Proprietary
+
NEKTON RESEARCH, LLC
•Innovative • From the Lab into the
•Talented Engineers World
•Connected • Producibility
• Experience Delivering
Globally

3. iRobot Proprietary
Maritime Robots
In the Water:
• Seaglider
In Development:
• Ranger
• Transphibian
• Reacquire, Identify, Localize, Swimmer (RILS)
• Next Generation Torpedo Counter Measures
In Concept:
• Air Deployable AUV Platform for Sensors (ADAPS)

4. iRobot Proprietary
Seaglider
Highlights:
• 15,000+ days at sea
• 70% at 1000m depths
• NAVO uses 15 Seagliders
• Exceeds 10 months at sea
• 5500km Range

5. iRobot Proprietary
World Record UUV Endurance
SG144 – Ocean Station Papa Mission*
6/14/2009 – 4/2/2010
Dives: 878
Duration at Sea: 9.6 months
Vertical Distance through Water: 1734 km
Horizontal Distance over Ground: 5076 km
Horizontal Distance through Water: 6798m
Velocities through Water:
Max Horizontal: 39.9 cm/s
Average Horizontal: 21.6
cm/s
Max Vertical: 9.3 cm/s
Average Vertical: 6.25 cm/s
Total Battery Remaining after Mission:
13.6%
*Data includes a 1300km transit back to
coastal pickup location.
SG144 – Entire Ocean Station Papa Mission
Including a 1300km transect back to coastal pickup location

6. iRobot Proprietary
Seaglider
Specifications:
• Body: 1.8m long, 30cm maximum
diameter
• Wing span: 1m
• Antenna mast length: 1m
• Weight: 52kg (dry)
• Power: Lithium primaries, 24V
and 10V packs, 17μJ
Guidance and Control: • Speed: 25cm/s (1/2kt)
• Dead reckoning using 3-axis • Glide angle: 16-45°
digital compass
• Kalman filter prediction
• Acoustic altimetry system
• Bathymetry map system

7. iRobot Proprietary
Seaglider
Sensors:
• Conductivity, Temperature &
Depth
• Dissolved Oxygen
• Backscatter/Flourometer
• Photosynthetically Active
Radiation (PAR)
Expanding Capabilities:
• Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler
• Acoustic Recorders
• CO2
• Hydrocarbon

8. iRobot Proprietary
Seaglider: Shallow to Deep

9. iRobot Proprietary
Seaglider
Applications:
• Physical, chemical, and
biological oceanography
• Tactical oceanography and ASW
• Long-term, long-range maritime
reconnaissance
• Communication gateway
• Navigation aid
• Weather studies
• Water quality
• Environmental evaluations and
monitoring

10. iRobot Proprietary
Ranger
• Low logistics
• High functioning
• Compact size

11. iRobot Proprietary
Ranger: Modular Architecture
Ranger General Purpose UUV
Will vary with
mission/
customer.
Standard
backbone
Standard Will vary with
Propulsion & Rear Bulkhead Standard mission/
customer
Main Payload Nose & Fwd Bulkhead
Mid Bulkhead
•Standard Ranger is “A” sized,
4.8” diameter
Batteries
Wifi Card
GPS Module
•Typically less than 40 lbs
Compass
Motors Altimeter Payload Mother
Main Proc (COM
Cntrl Surface Pwr Switch Brd w/ Proc
Express) Mission
Mechanics GigE Ethernet Port Extended run
GigE Network Switch Sensors (FL
Propeller Visual Indicator batteries
Motor Cntrller SONAR, CTD,
GPS Mast Mission
Fin Cntrller Homer, etc )
Wifi Mast Sensors
Leak Detector
GigE Network
Depth Sensor
Swtich

12. iRobot Proprietary
Ranger: Modular Architecture
Main Section Payload Module
Propulsion Module
Nose & Fwd Bulkhead
Sensor Config
Payload Support Board & Processor
GPS
Standard
Research Ranger RF Comms
Altimeter
Batt Batt Batt Batt Batt Batt
Depth Sensor ery ery ery ery ery ery Acoustic Modem
Pwr Switch
Watertight
Ethernet Port
Visual
Indicator
Sensor Config
GPS
Payload Support Board & Processor
Main Board & Proc RF Comms
Motor Drvs Recon Ranger Altimeter
CTD
Batt Batt Batt Batt Batt Batt Batt Batt
ery ery ery ery ery ery ery ery Side Scan Sonar
FL Sonar
Standard
Standard Bluetooth
Motors Battery *
Cntrl Surface IMU Sensor Config
Mechanics Main Proc GPS
X-fin Motor Payload Support Board & Processor RF Comms
Cntrller Altimeter
Fin Cntrller Scan Ranger Acoustic Modem
Leak Batt Batt Batt Batt Batt Batt CTD
Detector ery ery ery ery ery ery FL/ Microbath
Combo

13. iRobot Proprietary
Transphibian
Capabilities:
• 6 Degrees of Freedom Maneuvering
• FBN/SLAM Navigation
• Scalable Design
• Awkward Payloads

14. iRobot Proprietary
RILS
Operational Capability
•Transit: >8kts
•Sonar: 450kHz Horizontal Beam 45°
FOV, 100m Range 900kHz Vertical
Beam 45° FOV, 60m Range 5 frame
per second update rate
•Mass: 25kg, single man deployable
•Radio: 2.4GHz, 1km Range, other
radio options are available
•User Interface: Laptop, Dual monitors with BlueView Sonar imagery or
Top side camera video on one monitor. Other monitor displays
overhead view of operations area with vehicle represented at currently
reported GPS coordinates. Vehicle Telemetry - depth, speed, pitch,
roll and magnetic heading is also displayed.

15. iRobot Proprietary

16. iRobot Proprietary
Next Generation Countermeasures Mod X
•Sub/ship defense torpedo countermeasures
•Up to 15 kts
•Compatible with 3” signal ejector tube
•High efficiency acoustics projector with towed
hydrophone

17. iRobot Proprietary
Recap of Maritime Robots
In the Water:
• Seaglider
• Endurance
• Buoyancy-driven
In Development:
• Ranger
• Compact size
• Propeller-driven
• Transphibian
• 6 degrees of freedom
• Fin-driven
• Reacquire, Identify, Localize, Swimmer (RILS)
• Speed
• Next Generation Torpedo Counter Measures
• Deployable wings for lift

18. iRobot Proprietary
Future Application of These Technologies

19. iRobot Proprietary
Challenges with existing AUV CONOPS:
Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Notional Mission Cycles – BPAUV example
Launch Post‐Launch
BPAUV
Time (hrs): 6 1 2 12 8
(Bluefin 12)
Pre‐Launch Sortie Turnaround Post Mission
Manning: 5 ‐ 6 5 6 3 ‐ 5 4
• Equipment Prep. • Recovery • Recovery
Weight: ~750 lbs. • Position Vehicle • Turnaround Vehicle • Post Mission Ops.
10’ L x 21” D • Launch Prep. • Launch
Size:
•About 1/3rd to half of mission energy consumed by
transit to target zone
•29 hours before data is available from mission
inception
•Average of 5 people to man mission

20. iRobot Proprietary
CNO Guidance for 2011*
Navy will invest in UUV Endurance
“Way Ahead:
• We will pursue unmanned systems as an integrated part of our
force, ensuring that the move to ‘unmanned’ truly reduces
personnel requirements.
•We will develop a long-endurance, safe power source for UUVs”
*Executing the Maritime Strategy” (1 October 2010 )
“Roughead says he wants to spend about 50% of available UUV research
and development money on improving their endurance. Ultimately he
would like to see 3-4 weeks of endurance and reserve power for some
higher-speed maneuvers and to handle strong underwater currents.”
Aviation Week, 8-25-2010: CNO Speaks about Unmanned Vehicles at AUVSI

21. iRobot Proprietary
Why wait for a breakthrough in battery
endurance to achieve unmanned
underwater goals?

22. iRobot Proprietary
ADAPS
Alternative approach to underwater vehicle energy limits

23. iRobot Proprietary
Future air deployment of AUV’s near targets of interest will
reduce transit time, improves tactical utility and relevance

24. iRobot Proprietary
Reduced turnaround time on AUV missions is enabled by
new digital data link relays deployed on maritime UAV’s
ADAPS passively loitering on surface to establish data link to relay
collected data and receive commands from remote control site

25. iRobot Proprietary
ADAPS Concept Illustration
Antenna for
communication when
surfaced
Buoyancy changing
mechanism
Wings to supply lift for
gliding
Vectored thruster to
provide auxiliary or
primary propulsion and
heading control

26. iRobot Proprietary
Sonobuoy support is everywhere in Navy
P-3 Orion
Ship deck

27. iRobot Proprietary
UUV Sensor platforms
Average Average Max Nominal
Propulsion Loitering Mission Max Vehicle Max
energy energy duration speed Nominal Weight depth
Program Deployed from (W) (W) (hrs) ( kts ) diameter in air (m)
BPAUV
LCS Mission 53 cm
363 kg
Module 120 50 18 4 ( 21 in) (799 lbs) 6000
LBS‐AUV
32 cm 240 kg
TA‐GS‐60 (NAVO) 42 45 70 5 (12.75 in) (530 lbs) 600
MK‐18
19 cm
44 kg
Swordfish
Small craft, RHIB 35 35 22 5 (7.5 in) ( 97 lbs) 100
Sonobuoys
P‐3, P‐8, MH‐60, 12 cm 18 kgs
Ships NA 10 10 NA (4.8 in) ( 40 lbs) 100
ADAPS (“Air P‐3, P‐8, MH‐60, 12 cm 18 kgs
–Ranger”) Firescout, etc 10 4 330 8 (4.8 in) ( 40 lbs) 200

28. iRobot Proprietary
Things we miss by using robots…
Contact:
Paco Santana
psantana@irobot.com

29. iRobot Proprietary
iRobot Maritime Key Partners
Applied Physics Lab ‐ UW
Duke University Marine lab