Primary objectives
01
The UDS shall provide full wireless charging of a RAUV within 10 hours duration.
03
The UDS shall be deployable at near shore shallow reef zones for an extended period of time (i.e. > 1 month).
05
The UDS shall allow for a wide range of docking maneuvers with ample margins for vehicle control inaccuracy.
07
The UDS shall secure the docked RAUV from ocean currents.
02
The UDS shall provide wireless data transfer between UDS and RAUV.
04
The UDS shall withstand biofouling and corrosion for an extended period of time (i.e > 1 month).
06
The UDS shall provide a long-range of 200 m at minimum and close-range navigation for the AUV to locate the station.
08
At a minimum size, the UDS shall fit a BlueROV2 vehicle.
Subsystems
Structure
The structure portion of the mechanical subsystem provides a docking surface for the RAUV, as well as a protective housing and mounting point for all other subsystems and components. The securement portion of this subsystem is responsible for pulling the RAUV into one of four alignment positions as it approaches the docking station surface and holding it in place on that surface during data transfer and charging.
Power
Power distribution sends power to each subsystem and powers all electronics on the docking station. Wireless charging uses an inductive charger to charge the RAUV for the duration of the docking.
Communication
The communication subsystem is responsible for all underwater data transfer. This includes the selection of the wireless data carrier (RF, optical, acoustic), modulation method, encoding and decoding of the data. The communication subsystem is responsible for transmitting and receiving 13GB of data wirelessly between the Underwater Docking Station (UDS) and the Resident Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (RAUV). This data transmitted will be of the type (.bin, .txt, .dvi, .jpeg, .mp4).
Electronic
The electronic subsystem is responsible for ensuring the docking station meets the following requirements:The RAUV shall identify an underwater acoustic pinger and locate the DS from a range of no less than 200m. The RAUV shall identify the docking station visually close range. The UDS shall communicate with the RAUV to notify it of necessary