REMUS M3V (Micro 300 Meter Rated Vehicle) is a new member of the REMUS family of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), which is developed by Hydroid, a US-based subsidiary of Norwegian firm Kongsberg Maritime.
The REMUS M3V micro AUV is primarily intended to assist the naval forces in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), hydrographic survey, and area search missions. It can also be used for various other applications, including marine research, surveying and multi-vehicle missions.
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The unmanned underwater vehicle was unveiled at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) XPONENTIAL 2018 event held in March 2018.
REMUS M3V design and features
The high-speed, low-cost REMUS M3V micro AUV is 91cm-long and 12.3cm-wide. It is versatile and reliable, and requires just one person / operator to deploy and operate.
The AUV’s lightweight and compact design allows for easy and safe deployment from small and medium naval ships and patrol boats. The outer structure of the vehicle lacks fins or appendages.
The vehicle can be controlled using the tail-mounted control system. The AUV’s modular elliptical nose is designed to reduce drag.
Designed to operate in both untethered and buoy modes with high stability, the vehicle features a variable centre of gravity, which enables operations in buoy mode.
The vehicle’s compatibility with the existing survey and unmanned undersea vehicle infrastructure reduces logistics footprint for the operators.
Equipment carried by REMUS M3V
The micro autonomous vehicle is outfitted with a side scan sonar in the forward portion to acquire high-resolution images of large areas of the seafloor.
In standard configuration, the vehicle is equipped with a multi-functional, articulated tail-mounted antenna system, featuring an Iridium satellite communication system, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a flasher. The antenna allows the AUV to communicate with other AUVs on the surface.
A positioning and navigation system is installed in the AUV to provide accurate satellite-based positioning and navigation data in order to improve the autonomy and safety in the sea.
The vehicle can be optionally provided with a range of sensors and system options based on the autonomous mission requirements.
Command and control
The REMUS M3V autonomous underwater vehicle is operated from the launch platform using a rugged laptop computer, which incorporates REMUS vehicle interface programme (VIP) software.
The REMUS VIP is a graphical user interface (GUI) based laptop interface used to perform programming, mission planning, data analysis, training, documentation, vehicle maintenance, quality control checks, and troubleshooting.
The operator can modify the mission plan and send it to the vehicle using an acoustic link during the mission.
The data acquired by the REMUS M3V vehicle is transmitted to the laptop computer in real-time acoustically and is then processed and analysed by the operator to satisfy the mission needs.
Performance of REMUS M3V underwater vehicle
Power for the REMUS M3V micro autonomous underwater vehicle comes from the high-capacity lithium ion (Li-Ion) battery packs mounted in the rear section.
The AUV is capable of travelling at speeds exceeding 10k and reaching a depth of 300m. It can stay submerged for longer periods based on the operational speed and sensor configuration. The vehicle also has the ability to withstand strong tides and currents in the sea.
