Patent attributes
An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is disclosed for transporting and delivering a positively buoyant payload and/or a negatively buoyant payload to a destination. The AUV can be gravitationally propelled through the sea. The AUV can comprise a flexible vehicle body that receives a positively buoyant payload (e.g., incompressible fluid, like fuel) and can comprise a negative buoyancy component (e.g., elongated spine, electronics, cargo, etc.). A weight of the negative buoyancy component is correlated to a volume of the positively buoyant payload whereby the AUV is substantially neutrally buoyant at sea. The positively buoyant payload can be hydrostatically pressurized to hydrodynamically shape the body. The vehicle body can be collapsible for storage. The AUV can collect underwater intelligence data and transmit said data when surfacing. The AUV can loiter at sea for long periods of time. Associated system and methods are disclosed for transporting a positively buoyant payload with an AUV.
