On the reliability of the Autosub Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

As autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) enter operational service an assessment of their reliability is timely. Using the Autosub AUV as an example, several design issues affecting reliability are discussed, followed by an analysis of recorded faults. Perhaps contrary to expectations, failures rarely involved the autonomous nature of the vehicle. Rather, faults were typical of those that occur with any complex item of marine electromechanical equipment. A statistical analysis showed that the failure rate decreased with distance travelled an indicator that an AUV underway, submerged, is at less risk of a fault developing than during other phases of a mission.