NAVAL DRONES

By Jack Whitacre What are some of the ways the U.S. and other countries could defend maritime assets against swarms of Sea-Air drones? Consider a convoy system with human centered technology, algorithms from nature, and elements of gaming. Oakland University’s Loon Copter works equally well above and below the water’s surface. Photo: Oakland University The FAA estimated that one million drones would be sold during this 2015  holiday season . This estimate was based primarily on the proliferation of flying drones, however new domains of operation may open up soon. Premiering in 2015, the  Loon Copter   proves that, in time, these devices will be capable of traditional aeri al flight, on-wa ter surface operations, and sub-aquatic diving. Embedded Systems Research at Oakland University created the Loon Copter in 2014. In 2016, the design placed third in the  UAE Drones for Good competition . The system works in air as well as in water because the four rotors bal...

Classifying unmanned maritime systems by their operating domain: air, surface, or underwater - is both convenient and intuitive. But recently, navy and industry researchers have begun to explore the advantages of platforms that can operate in two domains, muddying the nomenclature.  In the past year, several prototype multi-domain unmanned vehicles have been introduced.   CRACUNS The most popular combination of these hybrid drones is the air/sub-surface mixture - UAVs that float or swim.  Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland introduced t he Corrosion Resistant Aerial Covert Unmanned Nautical System ( CRACUNS ), a submersible UAV designed to operate in the littorals which can be launched from a fixed position underwater or from an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). Rutger University's entry into the fray of flying/swimming drones is the Naviator , which can actually maneuver (sort of) underwater before surfacing and taking off....