Maritime Power Harvesting Piezo-Rubber™ Transducers for Autonomous In-water Sensors

In support of the Naval Air Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Systems'' mission to rapidly deploy portable, autonomous sensor systems for training ranges in threat representative locale, NanoSonic offers Piezo-Rubber™, maritime power harvesting transducers. Piezo-Rubber™ distributed skins would exploit the natural energy sources from the sea (light, salinity gradients and water movements) to generate electricity. The unique, low mass density, shape changing transducers may eliminate the need for finite, battery powered sensors and lengthy cables. As NanoSonic has recently demonstrated Shape Memory-Metal Rubber™, EMI shielding (-88dB), flexible, adaptive materials that can morph underwater; the Piezo Rubber™ skins offer dual-use technology as self-powered underwater, or near surface and at surface unmanned vehicles. The Piezo-Rubber™ self-powered morphing skins would be tested at sea in sensor systems and within a line of bio-mimicking naval platforms which will require the strength, flexibility, and ability to embed sensors within a realistic skin-like enclosure. Materials evaluation shall be carried out with our defense prime partner to verify the feasibility to sustain 10-1000 Watts of power for 30 days to 1 year during Phase I-II to increase the TRL from 4-8. TRL9 shall be reached when Piezo-Rubber™ transducers operate at water depths ranging from 100-5000 feet for 2-20 years.