Seaswan-I: A Multimode Autonomous Underwater Vehicle with Agile Maneuvering Capability

This paper introduces the design and functionality of the Multimode Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (MAUV), an adaptable underwater vehicle tailored to diverse tasks and environmental demands. MAUV’s key feature is its ability to transition seamlessly between multiple operational modes, including UG (Underwater Glider), ARGO (Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography), USV (Unmanned Surface Vehicle), and AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle). In order to achieve this multi-mode switching, the center of gravity of the MAUV is changed by moving the position of the mass to realize the conversion between different attitudes in the water. This paper first provides an overview of the MAUV, including its structure, sensor system, and communication capabilities. Then, we introduce in detail the highly customizable control scheme of MAUV, which allows users to customize and adjust according to the requirements of specific tasks. Through this control scheme, users can optimize the performance of MAUV to cope with various underwater tasks. In addition, we also simulated the shape of MAUV to evaluate its performance under different underwater attitudes. Finally, a lake test was conducted to verify the flexibility and adaptability of MAUV. The results show that MAUV is a powerful underwater vehicle that can play an essential role in coastal ocean observation, which is expected to promote the development of underwater detection technology and bring new possibilities for various underwater application fields.