Northrop Grumman's Manta Ray uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) is pioneering ocean exploration for people and autonomous vehicles.
The Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) designed the Manta Ray, drawing inspiration from nature, particularly the hydrodynamic manta ray. According to a Fox News report, this technical marvel's autonomous, prolonged operations will transform submarine missions.
Nature-Inspired Engineering
Northrop Grumman's Manta Ray UUV combines human creativity with nature. Inspired by the manta ray's elegant motions, this glider vehicle will cruise ocean depths without human intervention on long-range missions.
Manta Ray's details are limited, creating intrigue and symbolizing the undiscovered underwater depths it hunts. While details are few, the vehicle is built for durability and adaptability, carrying mission-specific cargo.
Northrop Grumman's Manta Ray UUV advances autonomous technology. Its energy-efficient technology and flexible architecture will transform subsea warfare and exploration.
The Manta Ray project aims to develop UUV technology, including energy management innovations, low-power propulsion technologies, and improved underwater detection and classification. The initiative intends to reinvent submarine navigation, command, and control using maritime data and novel methods.
Aside from the Manta Ray, another underwater animal-inspired technology made the news recently. The penguin-shaped Quadroin autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) from German underwater robotics firm EvoLogics recently showcased its latest upgrades.
Dr. Rudolf Bannasch, the creator of EvoLogics, researched penguin motion for years, inspiring the Quadroin's design. Based on this analysis, the AUV's hydrodynamic design mimics penguins' efficient swimming, especially Gentoos, which can swim 36 km/h, per a previous TechTimes report.
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EvoLogics created the Quadroin's earliest prototypes for the Helmholtz Association's MOSES project with Hereon, Schleswig-Holstein's largest non-university research center. This effort tackles heat waves, ocean eddies, and permafrost thawing. The Quadroin is designed to collect precise oceanographic data.
Moreover, the newest penguin-inspired Quadroin has better hydrodynamics, improving maneuverability and efficiency. The underwater drone can deploy at 10 knots and uses less energy due to its streamlined design. EvoLogics is committed to improving underwater robotics technology for scientific study and exploration.
Chinese Submarines Get Significant Upgrade
In another recent development, Chinese scientists have improved laser propeller efficiency, which might revolutionize underwater watercraft propulsion. This development may allow underwater vehicles to attain new speeds.
In "underwater fiber laser-induced plasma detonation wave propulsion," laser pulses sent through optical fibers less than a hair create 70,000 newtons of force, which is about the same as the force of a regular jet engine.
Laser pulses are used in propulsion to cause "supercavitation," which vaporizes seawater and forms bubbles, lowering water resistance. This breakthrough may enable submarines to travel faster than sound without creating mechanical noise that could reveal their location.
Japanese scientists proposed the idea two decades ago, but it has garnered global attention and research funding, notably in China.
Laser propeller technology has military uses, including stealth propulsion for nuclear submarines, but major challenges remain. These include optical fiber heat dissipation, high-power, and high-salinity endurance, and the adaptability of underwater steering and control systems.
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