Ship Hull Inspection for Pre-Drydock, Drydock, or BDA

The Department of Defense is in need of increasingly expedient means of inspecting external structures and components of submarines at various points during static or underway operations. This requires deployed platforms, that are low cost, easily operated, and readily recoverable.BIOSwimmer is a highly maneuverable UUV with transit speeds of 5kts and the ability to turn within one body length. This platform can be used autonomously but is often configured with a towed hydrodynamic surface float that provides real-time C2 and data to operators. When equipped with a supporting sidescan, 3d imaging sonar, or lidar system, BIOSwimmer can provide immediate feedback on hull condition in a range of operational scenarios, including SHT inspection, running gear inspection, and assessment of more severe damage – all while alleviating the need for a diver to be in the water. BIOSwimmer can operate self-sufficiently from host platform electronics via operator control unit and can be rapidly deployed. Options for manual operation and autonomous modes (hull-hugging) are available.Boston Engineering intends to demonstrate added value of the platform compared to current systems, across multiple-use cases. The platform endeavors to provide real-time data to operators through the project goals of 1) downselecting inspection sensor(s) and integrating them into BIOSwimmer platform, 2) executing demonstration of BDA and hull inspection via joystick and user interface, and 3) automating  inspection cycles by localizing along the vessel hull.