Design elements of a prototype self-mooring AUV

The Virginia Tech Self-Mooring Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) is capable of mooring itself on the seafloor for extended periods of time. The AUV is intended to travel to a desired mooring location, moor itself on the seafloor, and then release the mooring and return to a desired egress location. In addition, the AUV is designed to be inexpensive. The self-mooring concept was successfully tested on a small-scale platform known as the Virginia Tech 475 AUV. This report covers the major design elements of the self-mooring AUV, experiments that were conducted to refine the engineering analysis, and the results of successful field trials with this small-scale prototype.