Communications, Bandwidth Reduction and System Studies for a Tetherless Unmanned Submersible

Stimulated by a ten-year research programme on tethered remote-controlled submersibles a feasibility study was initiated in 1977 to determine critical areas of investigation necessary to provide design parameters for a remotely computer-controlled tetherless submersible, capable of carrying T.V. and other instrumentation for sea-bed and structure inspection purposes. Techniques of adaptive predictive control, and optimised through-water communications and signal processing were isolated as prime areas for study. The research into control problems is discussed in an associated paper by Russell and Bugge while this paper covers aspects of through-water acoustic signalling, T.V. band- width reduction, and vehicle concepts and modelling.