The autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle (AUV) is an automatic self-propelled platform of research instrumentation which is able to dive into the preset area of the ocean at a depth up to 6000 m, move along the programmed trajectory, perform necessary operations and at the end of program return to the support vessel or base point.

The AUV operates under water independently without the umbilical. Transmission of instructions on-board the vehicle and video information back is accomplished by means of acoustic communication link. The acoustic positioning system together with integrated on-board navigation system allow to determine continually the vehicle location whereas an operator of support vessel is able to track the trajectory of the vehicle motion in real time. The time of AUV continuous operation under water depends upon the vehicle design and type of power source and may amount from units to several tens of hours. The instruments installed on the vehicle include sensors for measuring environmental parameters, photo and video cameras, side-scanning sonars and geophysical devices (magnetometer, acoustic profiler, gravimeter). The modular construction of AUVs was used to allow for easily modification of the vehicle for concrete operational task.

The efficiency of operations performed by the towed or tethered vehicles lowers abruptly with an increase in depth. The autonomous underwater vehicle characterized by considerably greater maneuverability than a ship and high accuracy of stabilization of the motion parameters (including conditions of rough bottom relief) as well as by simplicity of exploitation has the efficiency independent of depth. The AUV advantages were frequently proven during real operations in the ocean using the prototype-vehicles developed at the institute to survey areas with deposits of solid mineral resources, to investigate the environmental contamination as well to search and inspect nuclear submarines sunken at abyssal depths of the ocean.

The main fields of AUV application:

• ocean exploration and monitoring of water medium;
• marine geological survey;
• inspection of the underwater engineering structures and pipelines;
• search, inspection and rescue operations;
• protection of environment and maricultures