SUBMARINES WITHOUT SAILORS

Dive into the world of autonomous submarines and discover the mission that will see one sail around the world

- SCOTT DUTFIELD

As self-driving cars and self-flying aircraft continue to emerge on our roads and in the skies, the sea is next in line for autonomous vehicles. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are a group of submarines that can manoeuvre through the water without the need for a human pilot. Used for military surveillance, ocean monitoring and underwater freight, AUVs can venture into the deep ocean to collect data and transport goods to places too treacherous for human sailors to navigate.

To autonomously move through the water and dodge any drifting marine obstacles that come their way, many AUVs use a technology called a Doppler Velocity Logger (DVL). The system works in a similar way to lidar (light detection and ranging) on autonomous cars, measuring the time it takes beams of light to rebound off objects to gauge their distance, except a DVL uses sound waves. The AUV’s underwater sound system emits sound waves into the water. Depending on the time it takes them to bounce back to the vessel, the onboard computer can determine the speed and direction the craft is travelling and detect anything in its way.

The concept of an AUV first emerged in 1957 with the creation of the Self-Propelled Underwater Research Vehicle (SPURV). Developed at the University of Washington in the US, the AUV’s intended use was to gather oceanic information, such as acoustic transmission, and map the wake (turbulence) of submarines. As the technology's maiden voyage, SPURV set the standard for future AUVs.