Patent attributes
An autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle (“AUV”) includes a body, a controller, a buoyancy engine, a rotary propulsion system and pitch control surface(s). The buoyancy engine is for alternately ingesting and expelling ambient water to change the mass of the AUV and thereby cause the AUV to alternately descend and ascend in the water. The pitch control surface(s) are for causing the AUV to move forward while alternately descending and ascending in the water. The rotary propulsion system includes a motor for rotating a propeller in the water to provide thrust. The controller is operative for responsively, automatically switching between at least the glider and rotary propulsion modes. In the glider mode, the buoyancy engine and the pitch control surface(s) are cooperative for causing the AUV to move forward while alternately descending and ascending. In the rotary propulsion mode, the rotary propulsion system is operative for causing the AUV to move forward.
