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Published online: 23 March 2006; | doi:10.1038/news060320-6 Stealth underwater craft targets minefieldsAutonomous technology may make mine clean-ups safer.Mark Peplow
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The black, streamlined craft is designed to be a "low-observable vehicle". © BAE Systems Electronics Limited |
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An underwater craft that can seek out and destroy mines has been unveiled. The sub, dubbed Talisman, relies on computer software that allows it to complete its mission without being guided by an operator.
Most mine-disposal missions rely on either human divers or small explosives dropped from a ship. Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) that are tethered to a boat on the surface by an umbilical cord are also used, but their cables restrict how far the craft can roam. Most of these options require the people involved to be within a few hundred metres of the mined area, which can put lives at risk.
In contrast, Talisman can travel for kilometres on its own to reach a minefield. Whenever the craft is underwater, it relies on its autonomy software to navigate a course and avoid obstructions. Once it finds a target, the craft rises to the surface, communicates with an operator and waits for further instructions. It can then descend again and take out the mine with a miniature torpedo.
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Click here for a computer simulation of the craft in action. © BAE Systems Electronics Limited |
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Mines are a low-cost, low-tech way to slow down an advancing navy. In the first Gulf War, two US navy ships were severely damaged by Iraqi mines, and in some instances the allied forces resorted to driving an empty oil tanker through minefields simply to clear a path for battleships following behind.
The Talisman craft is a prototype to demonstrate how autonomous technology developed for land and aerial vehicles can also be used underwater, says Andy Tonge, manager of BAE Systems' UUV (unmanned underwater vehicle) project in Waterlooville, UK, which developed the sub. They hope to create a market for the vehicles by convincing military customers that it could save them time, equipment, and even lives.
Talisman was on show at the Oceanology International 2006 conference on 21 March, following recent successful sea trials. To demonstrate its long-distance capabilities, BAE Systems are planning to operate the subs in their next trials from the office of their managing director, about 100 kilometres inland from the coast.
Secret mission
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Click here for a video of the sub in a test run. © BAE Systems Electronics Limited |
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Talisman is the size of a large car, and can descend to a depth of 300 metres. It is extremely manoeuvrable, and can reach 5 knots (about 9 kilometres per hour) while carrying cameras, mine-hunting sonar equipment and other sensors.
The sub's flat, angular panels are made of carbon fibre, and resemble the design of stealth aircraft. Although Tonge will not reveal any details, he confirms that Talisman is intended to be a "low-observable vehicle".
"It's very interesting because it gains you so much distance away from launch," says Nik Pyle of ROV-manufacturer Seaeye Marine Limited, Fareham, UK. "Whether the batteries will last is another question," he adds. BAE Systems say that Talisman can run for more than 24 hours, depending on its mission.
Pyle says that as autonomous UUVs develop further, they may prove especially useful for pipeline surveys, and could become a staple of commercial or academic projects underwater.
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Story from news@nature.com:
http://news.nature.com//news/2006/060320/060320-6.html |
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