SubjuGator : A Highly Maneuverable , Intelligent Underwater Vehicle

Undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Florida have redesigned, modified and tested an autonomous submarine, SubjuGator, to compete in the 1999 ONR/AUVSI Underwater Vehicle Competition. A modified version of last years entry, SubjuGator is designed for shallow operation (30 feet), with emphasis on mobility and agility. SubjuGator retains its small size (1.2m long x 1m wide x .7m high) and tight turning radius, ensuring high maneuverability. Two motors oriented horizontally provide forward/backward thrust and differential turning, while two other motors, oriented vertically, provide ascent/descent and pitch. Buoyancy is controlled using two solenoids which regulate the amount of ballast in the buoyancy compensator located around the electronics compartment; therefore, we do not require motor propulsion for neutral buoyancy or surfacing. SubjuGator is controlled through an embedded 486/33MHz processor running the Linux operating system. It is interfaced to a number of sensors, including a phased-array, horizontal-scanning sonar, a pressure sensor, a digital compass, a fluidic inclinometer, and a depth sounder. Two separate power supplies drive the motors and electronics, respectively. The motors are powered by a 40 amp-hour sealed lead-acid gel cell battery, while a 3.5 amp-hour nickel metal hydride battery powers the electronics. Most of the components on the vehicle have been either donated from companies or designed and built in our laboratory. The electronics and electronics container are designed to be modular so that they may be removed from the current submarine body and used in a future design without major effort.