ALR-U for
UUV Recoveries
Despite the advancement of UUVs to achieve full operational capabilities, the intricacy of their Launch and Recovery (L&R) limits their usability in many scenarios. ALR-U, however, facilitates secure UUV recoveries at a distance from the ship without the need for human intervention.
ALR-U
Autonomous Recovery for UUV
- Autonomous Recovery Self Maneuvering Robotic System
- Operational to Sea State 5
- Fast Recovery < 20 sec
- Add-On Solution
Fully robotic
floating recovery
system
Innovative connection
system to UUV
Self maneuvering
system
AUTOMATED LIFT UNIT & LPS
Automated Lift Unit
- Connectable to Existing Lifting Point
- Depth Rating- Deep Water
- Quick Release
- No Need to Reinforce Boat Structure
- 12V dC Mini Hydraulic Unit
LPS
- Real Time Localization
- Accurate & Reliable Data
- 3 Sensing Layers Combined by Data Fusion
command & Control
Bow Capture Unit & LPS
User Friendly
Intuitive user interface touch screen monitor
Intuitive user interface
touch screen monitor
safety
Additional Hand Held Safety controller with push butons
Additional handheld safety
controller with push buttons
connection
Standalone or connected to ship command and control
Standalone or connected to ship command and control
requirements
Configurable for user requirements
Configurable for user requirements
UUV Recovery process
Identification & Capture - side recovery
- Position Ship 50m away from UUV
- Launch ALR-U by the ship’s crane
- ALR-U maneuver itself towards the UUV
- ALR-U Automatically connects to UUV
- UUV is secured and protects within the ALR-U structure
- The ALR-U maneuvers both towards ship’s crane
- UUV Is lifted with ALR-U to ship’s Deck
the challenge- UUv recoveries
UUV recoveries heavily depend on manual connections by human operators to the UUV body or lifting points, often necessitating the deployment of an auxiliary crewed boat from the mother ship for assistance. When recovering the UUV directly to the ship, the significant difference in sea-keeping behavior between the UUV and the mother ship leads to numerous collisions and damage, prompting many users to restrict UUV recoveries to sea state 2.
Despite the global operational maturity and capability of UUV systems, the substantial effort required for manual recovery limits their operational potential. Developing a system and method to enable safe and autonomous recovery in challenging sea conditions is crucial for unlocking the full potential of UUVs in offshore assets.