Advances in Reconfigurable Vectorial Thrusters for Adaptive Underwater Robots

Abstract

Manoeuvrability is one of the essential keys in the development of improved autonomous underwater vehicles for challenging missions. In the last years, more researches were dedicated to the development of new hulls shapes and thrusters to assure more manoeuvrability. The present review explores various enabling technologies used to implement the vectorial thrusters (VT), based on water-jet or propellers. The proposals are analysed in terms of added degrees of freedom, mechanisms, number of necessary actuators, water-tightness, electromagnetomechanical complexity, feasibility, etc. The usage of magnetic coupling thrusters (conventional or reconfigurable) is analysed in details since they can assure the development of competitive full waterproof reconfigurable thrusters, which is a frictionless, flexible, safe, and low-maintenance solution. The current limitations (as for instance the use of non conductive hull) are discussed and ideas are proposed for the improvement of this new generation of underwater thrusters, as extending the magnetic coupling usage to obtain a fully contactless vector thrust transmission.

Exploring Autonomous and Remotely Operated Vehicles in Offshore Structure Inspections

“…Possible collaborative operations with ROVs for intervention tasks [123]. Not designed for intervention tasks [129] Sensors Cameras, sonar systems (side-scan, multibeam), sensors [54,131].…”

The Design and Application of a Vectored Thruster for a Negative Lift-Shaped AUV

“…As an extremely significant tool, underwater vehicles play a significant role in various ocean-related activities, such as military applications, scientific research, port operations, and maritime safety. Underwater vehicles are primarily used for inaccessible, hazardous, and expensive tasks for divers [1]. Engineers have an essential mission to improve the capability of underwater vehicles to explore oceans while performing these tasks [2].…”

“…Different missions and applications determine the shapes, configurations, and propulsion systems of underwater vehicles [4]. The propulsion systems of underwater vehicles can be classified into three types: classical rear propeller propulsion, bio-inspired propulsion [5,6], and vectored thrust propulsion [1]. The propulsion strategy of an underwater vehicle determines its movement-control mode.…”

Dynamic Modeling and Robust Trajectory Tracking Control of a Hybrid Propulsion-Based Small Underwater Robot

“…This type of propulsion may result in low maneuverability because the control surfaces or rudders are incapable of generating sufficient torques when AUVs are operating at low speeds. Therefore, some researchers have developed over-actuated AUVs with redundant fixed propellers to realize full holonomic propulsion [7,8], while others focus on designing vectored thrusters [9] that can reorient the thrust vectors in more than one degree of freedom (DOF), making the underwater vehicles highly maneuverable with fewer thrusters.…”