Results from mechanical docking tests of a Morpheus class AUV with a dock designed for an OEX class AUV

This paper reports on a series of experiments done to test the feasibility of docking a Morpheus class autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) on a dock originally designed for the much larger OEX class AUV. These tests were designed to observe the reaction of the vehicle upon impact with the dock and determine the success rate of the mechanical system. The tests were done at sea with the dock resting on the sea floor using divers to start and stop the vehicle for each run. Diver observations and video, as well as logged vehicle sensor data were then used to draw conclusions on the viability of the docking system.