Modular hardware infrastructure for autonomous underwater vehicles

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are taking on increasingly visible and valuable roles in oceanographic research institutions, the offshore industry, and the military (Podder et al., 2004 and Yongkuan, 2002). AUV research, especially at the university level, is hindered by the lack of flexible and affordable platforms suitable for a wide range of applications. This paper presents an electrical and mechanical infrastructure developed to improve the flexibility and modularity of research AUVs. External devices can be added or replaced with minimal vehicle modification. A power backplane offers built-in monitoring and switching for all electronic devices. A signal backplane allows new electronics to be quickly integrated into the existing system. Easily detachable segments make the entire system mechanically modular.