A Docking Station Proposal for the Girona I-AUV

Underwater Docking Stations (DS) offer Au-tonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) a practical solution to extend mission duration and reduce deployment costs. However, existing designs need adaptation to accommodate Intervention-AUVs (I-AUVs). This paper presents the foundational development of a dedicated docking station for the Girona I-AUV. We explore multiple design iterations, including funnel-shaped, hybrid, and vertical models, to arrive at the final configuration. Then; the selected design undergoes comprehensive evaluation in simulations. Our assessment focuses on three critical parameters: structural size, manufacturing cost, and operational feasibility. The results demonstrate that the vertical docking approach optimally balances these requirements.