AUV DeepC: Technology Platform for the Atlas Elektronik AUV Family

ATLAS ELEKTRONIK has a long tradition in the development and manufacture of naval systems and marine technologies like mine-countermeasure boats, integrated sonar, command and control systems and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). One of the latest UUV-product development is the autonomous underwater vehicle, called DeepC with the main features: • Mission depth till 4000 m (Crush: 6000 m); • Weight in air 2.4 to  ; • Cruise speed 4 kts; • Maximum speed 6 kts; • Mission time up to 60 hours; • Operating range up to 400 km; • Payloads 250 kg. The development was started on Jan. 1^st 2001 and will be finalized end of 2004 with the deep water tests. DeepC (www.deepc-auv.de) is a high efficient deep diving autonomous underwater vehicle system with long endurance for a lot of applications. Many actions that would normally require high cost ROV systems or which are not possible (e.g. under ice investigations) can now be accomplished using DeepC, at less cost and manpower. The main performance parameters of the DeepC system are in general: • Autonomous mission execution; • Low weight; • High manoeuvrability; • Hover capability; • Modular design; • Containerised Payload; • Deployment from vessels of opportunity; • Obstacle avoidance; • In mission re-planning capability; • Precise navigation; • Advanced diagnosis and fault recovery system. With these performance takes the DeepC system an international top place on the AUV sector and has in the framework of the ATLAS ELEKTRONIK AUV family philosophy a key position: it is the technological basis and highlight of the AUV family, contains the equipment with the most fastidious technologies and is now in the final phase of the development. The second member of the AUV family is the SeaOtter Mk 1, a vehicle system based on an ATLAS MARIDAN development. This AUV is extensively tested, qualified and successfully introduced at the market in its basic version. With the help of the DeepC, technology upgrades are planned which will lead to a substantial performance increase. The AUV of the third generation represents the SeaOtter Mk 2, whose development was up-to-date started and which bundles both, the DeepC technology and the operational experience of the SeaOtter Mk 1.