Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will develop advanced communication, perception and energy systems for USVs, after being awarded a five-year, $900,000 research grant from the U.S. Office of Naval Research.

Under this grant, Embry-Riddle will seek to accomplish a number of goals, with one focus being to develop “stealthier ways for unmanned vessels on the ocean’s surface to communicate with unmanned underwater vehicles such as submarines.”

According to researchers, typically, underwater communication technology relies on expensive acoustic devices and low bandwidth. With this in mind, researchers are investigating the potential use of technology normally used on these unmanned systems as emitters and receivers, with the objective of characterizing “how best to communicate in this manner, and to assess the data rates that can be achieved.”

Researchers will also look into ways to enhance the situational awareness of USVs through “short- and long-range detection, classification and speed estimation of maritime objects using multi-model sensing.”

To get USVs to remain on station longer, the team will increase the energy efficiency of USVs by developing hybrid energy system architectures. This work will involve finding ways to balance renewable sources with traditional energy sources.

The renewable sources could include wind and solar power, while the traditional energy sources could include batteries and diesel generators.

Embry-Riddle’s Minion research platform, a “16-foot autonomous research vessel equipped with high-performance computing, an autonomous sensor suite, two brushless thrusters and substantial battery capacity,” will be used to test and evaluate the proposed communication, perception and energy systems.