Work in these areas supports the Navy’s interest in advanced sea platform performance, advanced sea platform and autonomy technologies. The work supports USV autonomy capable of operating with less involvement of the remote human operator, higher reliability and longer mission duration of USVs that have no crew to diagnose and repair faults, more efficient design processes, novel USV designs unencumbered by requirements associated with human habitation.
Research Concentration Areas
- Bio-inspired flexible propulsors for fast, efficient swimming - investigation of underlying fluid-structure interaction of bio-propulsors that result in reports of highly efficient, high speed and quiet underwater propulsion. Investigation of potential hydrodynamic benefits of schooling fish
- Advanced multi-vehicle USV autonomy for highly dynamic situations, complex environments
- Evaluation of intent of other vessels
- Virtual testing of USV autonomy
- Diagnostics and prognostics of faults in USV on-board mechanical and electrical systems
- Automated or robotic approaches to repair and maintenance of on-board USV mechanical and electrical systems
- Multi-fidelity multi-disciplinary simulation-driven digital design process for new high-speed small craft
- Exploration of USV design space unconstrained by human habitation requirements
- Research into managing relative wave-induced motions between a USV and another platform
Research Challenges and Opportunities
- Fundamental understanding of hydrodynamics of schooling fish and discovery of mechanisms underlying fast, efficient, quiet swimming
- Algorithms for USV autonomy capable of handling dynamic situations and complex environments with minimal human involvement
- Research into automated and robotic approaches to repair and maintenance of on-board USV mechanical and electrical systems
- Exploration of USV design space unconstrained by human habitation requirements
- Algorithms and robotics for managing wave-induced motions for connection of USV to another platform in high seas
How to Submit
For detailed application and submission information for this research topic, please refer to our broad agency announcement (BAA) No. N0001425SB001.
Contracts: All white papers and full proposals for contracts must be submitted through FedConnect; instructions are included in the BAA.
Grants: All white papers for grants must be submitted through FedConnect, and full proposals for grants must be submitted through grants.gov; instructions are included in the BAA.