Autonomous deployment, operations and recovery of underwater sensors

Integrating a towed array (which consists of a very long tow cable and a line array of sensors) with an unmanned platform requires unattended operation of the array during deployment, operation and recovery. The objective of the proposed work is to create and demonstrate a towed array handling system on an unmanned platform which can operate without human intervention and ensure the towed array and cable can be deployed and retrieved unharmed. This work will integrate sensors with the array handling system to better monitor the spooling of the array, detecting faults and then intelligently controlling the winch and unmanned platform to ensure the array is not damaged. This capability is expected to be of benefit in future navy applications.

Faculty Supervisor:

Mae Seto

Student:

Jordan Ross

Partner:

Ultra Electronics Maritime Systems Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Dalhousie University