DYNAMICS OF TWO ACTIVE AUTONOMOUS DOCK MECHANISMS FOR AUV RECOVERY

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are presenting an ever expanding range of applications that enhance human capabilities and mitigate human risk. Development of a successful subsurface autonomous launch and recovery system would expand the functional use of AUVs in many fields, e.g., year-round Canadian Arctic exploration and sovereignty missions. This paper provides an overview of the design and dynamic modelling of two concept mechanisms being developed to recover AUVs to a slowly moving submerged submarine. Both have a serial R perpendicular to R perpendicular to P architecture; one is mechanically actuated while the second uses an actively pitched wing to indirectly provide motive force for the passive revolute joint. Dynamic models of both manipulators are developed. Although similar in architecture, several extensions are required to accurately predict the non-linear dynamics provided by the wing. High speed actuation of the devices is required to compensate for relative trajectory errors between the submarine and AUV during significant sea states in littoral waters. Alterations to the recursive Newton-Euler method to include hydrodynamic and additional inertial forces present in water are explained. Results of some initial modelling are presented.