Find suppliers and manufacturers of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, AUV technology, underwater gliders and autonomous submarines for survey, research and military applications
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Technology Editor Last updated: October 20th, 2023
AUVs & Autonomous Submarines
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are a subset of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) that can function without real-time control from a human operator. They can be programmed to follow mission waypoints along a predetermined route and collect data or activate other payloads. Some autonomous submarines may use artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to make decisions and react to changes in their environment.
Slocum G3 Underwater Glider by Teledyne Marine
Underwater Gliders
Most AUVs are powered by rechargeable batteries, and some may also use fuel cells or solar power. The vehicles often use electric-powered propellers and thrusters for propulsion. A subset of AUVs, known as underwater gliders, use variable buoyancy to change their depth, and utilise hydrofoils to convert this movement into forward motion. Underwater gliders are ideal for sampling properties such as temperature and salinity throughout the water column.
AUV Navigation
Autonomous underwater navigation must rely on methods other than GPS, due to the inability of radios to penetrate very far into water. While the vehicle may surface from time to time in order to gain GPS fixes, this data must be supplemented by other technologies. Marine INS (Inertial Navigation Systems) can be used to gain position, acceleration, and velocity estimates, the accuracy of which can be improved with a Doppler Velocity Log, a device similar to sonar which measures the rate of travel over the sea floor. Depth can be measured using a pressure sensor.
NemoSens Micro AUV by RTSYS
AUV Sensors & Payloads
AUVs can carry a wide variety of underwater sensors and payloads that allow them to gather data and map the subsurface environment. These may include side scan sonars, single and multi-beam sonars, magnetometers, hydrophones and chemical sensors. Due to the inability to send or receive electromagnetic signals when submerged, data is stored onboard for later retrieval.
...et Hydrus, the autonomousunderwater drone revolutionising underwater data collection by eliminating... ...L and INS, the underwater robotic vehicle is capable of carrying out missions in challenging subsea...
Tetherless hovering autonomous underwater vehicle for scientific & inspection missions
Tetherless hovering autonomous underwater vehicle for scientific & inspection missions
...rless hovering autonomousunderwatervehicle engineered for precise subsea operations and data... ...ilization, the vehicle delivers enhanced maneuverability in constrained underwater environments....
Boxfish Robotics combines advanced navigation technologies, including USBL, IMU, and DVL, with integrated sensor fusion to enable precise, reliable, and tetherless operation of hovering autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs)
Using autonomous underwater technology, Advanced Navigation and O2 Marine have documented severe coral bleaching at Hall Bank, revealing climate impacts on one of Earth’s southernmost reefs
The Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) has completed the first under-ice deployment of ecoSUB's smallest autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) the ecoSUB-µ5 during a mission in Arctic conditions
Teledyne Marine has showcased its advanced AUV capabilities at SeaSEC Challenge 2025, demonstrating real-time threat detection, subsea mapping, and collaborative defense operations across three mission-based maritime security scenarios
Cellula Robotics has partnered with SES and FLANQ to expand its AUV offerings across Northern Europe, providing local access to advanced underwater systems for scientific, commercial, and defense applications
SEA360 enhances its subsea survey capabilities with a Teledyne Gavia AUV, advancing autonomous underwater operations across Europe for inspection, survey, and environmental missions
Boxfish Robotics' first generation of fully autonomous tetherless hovering Boxfish AUV features advancements in autonomy that aim to set a new standard in underwater exploration
Dynautics discusses the key innovations that shaped its advanced marine autopilots and vehicle management systems, covering real-world use cases and the company's commitment to advancing autonomy standards in the marine sector
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