Development of a Docking Station ROV for Underwater Power Supply to AUVs

Abstract

In recent years, underwater robots have been attracting attention for the exploration of undersea resources and environmental research. In particular, AUVs can operate in a wide range of areas because they do not need to be connected to cables from above the water, but to expand their range further, underwater charging technology is required. In this study, we propose a docking station ROV for powering AUVs underwater. For underwater power charging, the receiving antenna on the AUV side and the transmission antenna on the ROV side need to be precisely close to each other. This ROV can capture the AUV using electromagnets, and the position of the receiving and transmitting antennas can be easily adjusted by the slider device. In this paper, we describe the details of the underwater docking station and the docking test conducted in a water tank.