Ocean Engineering and Unmanned Marine Vehicles

[Four modern aircraft carriers of various types—USS John C. Stennis, Charles de Gaulle (French Navy), USS John F. Kennedy, helicopter carrier HMS Ocean—and escort vessels, 2002.]

Ocean engineering is a combination of mechanical, electrical, civil, acoustical, and chemical engineering, coupled with a basic understanding of how the oceans work. 

Ocean engineers design, build, test, and refine instrumentation and equipment that can operate in offshore and/or coastal environments. These instruments must be able to stand up to the wear and tear of frequent use and survive the harsh conditions of the ocean environment (corrosion, waves, currents, severe storms, marine life fouling, etc.) 

Innovations in instrumentation and equipment design made by ocean engineers have revolutionized the field of oceanography, enabling researchers to travel farther offshore and deeper into the sea, and to stay there for longer periods of time. 

What ocean engineers do:

• Design eco-friendly structures: Ocean engineers will design artificial reefs and other underwater structures that protect coastlines and support marine life.
• Use data analytics: Ocean engineers will use data analytics to predict maintenance needs and refine designs.
• Use AI and machine learning: Ocean engineers will use AI and machine learning to handle large amounts of data and select materials for projects.
• Develop new technologies: Ocean engineers will develop new technologies to protect coastlines from storms and other natural processes.

Unmanned marine vehicles (UMVs) are boats or ships that operate on the water's surface without a crew. They are also known as: 

• Unmanned surface vehicles (USVs)
• Autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs)
• Drone boats
• Drone ships
• Sea drones

USVs can operate with various levels of autonomy, from remote control to fully autonomous. They can be used to: 

• Collect oceanographic and atmospheric data
• Conduct pre-planned missions
• Make decisions with minimal real-time human input
• Automatically navigate and acquire data without the need for continual operator oversight
• Tow seismic cables and larger sensors

There are also unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), which are submersible vehicles that can operate underwater without a human occupant. UUVs can be divided into two categories: 

• Remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROUVs)
• Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs)

Autonomous ships are a reality and will likely revolutionize many aspects of shipping and maritime security. 

• Long-Range Unmanned Surface Vessels (LUSVs): These vessels will be low-cost, high-endurance, and reconfigurable. They might carry missiles that a crewed ship could remotely launch.
• Large Unmanned Surface and Undersea Vehicles (MUSVs): These vessels will be low-cost, high-endurance, and reconfigurable. They will carry sensing and non-kinetic weapons payloads.

- Research Topics in Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences

[More to come ...]