What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to design a docking station for autonomous underwater vehicles to enable efficient recharging and data transfer.

June 6, 2026Open Access

Design of a docking station for autonomous underwater wehicles (AUV) recharge and data download

Key Points

The aim is to design a docking station for autonomous underwater vehicles to enable efficient recharging and data transfer.
Review of existing docking station solutions for AUVs.
Development of position control, acoustic beacon, and vision systems for AUV docking.
Implementation of a latching mechanism and power/data interface systems.
Proposed systems improve AUV docking accuracy and effectiveness for recharging.
Integration of multiple technologies enhances the reliability of data download.
Developed a Launch and Recovery (LAR) system for better deployment and retrieval of the AUV.

Abstract

Review of the existing solutions for AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) docking stations and study of its applicability in the OBSEA (Expandable Seafloor Observatory) for the recharge and data download of the Guanay II AUV developed by the SARTI research group. The project will develop the position control system, for AUV approaching to the docking; acoustic beacon, USBL location system and artificial vision system for relative location of the AUV in respect to the docking; latching mechanism to engage the AUV to the docking; power and data interface systems to recharge batteries and data download; and Lunch and Recovery (LAR) system to deploy and recover the docking and AUV from a support vessel

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