Autonomous surface watercraft

Abstract

An autonomous surface watercraft is disclosed. The watercraft may include a control module, a communications module, a power management module, a differential thrust propulsion system, and a navigation module. One or more sensors may be provided internal to the watercraft and/or coupled to a sensor module coupling point on the watercraft. An operator may provide the watercraft with mission parameters such as but not limited to station point(s), a sensing location or area, a sensing duration, and/or a sensing time. The watercraft may determine a course heading to reach a station point or sensing area. The control module may control the propulsion system to reach the station point and for station keeping. The watercraft may gather sensor data. The sensor data may be analyzed, filtered, stored in memory and/or transmitted to a control center. The control center may receive real-time data from a plurality of such watercraft.

1 - 83 . (Canceled)  
     
     
         84 . An autonomous surface watercraft comprising: 
 a vertical foil hull assembly comprising a top, a bottom, a port side, a starboard side and an interior region; and    one or more propulsion mechanisms connected to the vertical foil hull assembly.    
     
     
         85 . The apparatus of  claim 84 , wherein the one or more propulsion mechanisms are connected operatively to the port side, the starboard side, or both the port side and the starboard side of the vertical foil hull assembly.  
     
     
         86 . The apparatus of  claim 84 , wherein each of the one or more propulsion mechanisms are controlled independently.  
     
     
         87 . The apparatus of  claim 84 , further comprising a roll stabilization apparatus connected to the vertical foil hull assembly.  
     
     
         88 . The apparatus of  claim 87 , wherein the roll stabilization apparatus includes one or more pontoons.  
     
     
         89 . The apparatus of  claim 84 , wherein the interior region further comprises one or more of the following: one or more sensor modules, one or more communications modules, one or more scuttle ports, one or more power management modules, one or more water detector devices, one or more batteries, one or more navigation modules, one or more control modules, one or more sensors, one or more rudder modules, one or more GPS receiver modules, one or more hydrogen sensors, one or more command modules, one or more radio frequency detectors, one or more radio frequency transmitter modules, one or more radio frequency receiver modules, one or more signal processing modules, one or more deployable probe modules, one or more memory modules, one or more storage modules, one or more data acquiring modules, one or more data transferring modules, one or more battery charging modules or combination thereof.  
     
     
         90 . An autonomous surface watercraft comprising: 
 a hull assembly shaped substantially as depicted in  FIG. 1 ; and    one or more propulsion devices connected to the hull assembly.    
     
     
         91 . An autonomous surface watercraft having a hydrodynamic shape comprising: 
 a substantially watertight vertical hull assembly comprising a fore end, an aft end, a top, a bottom, an interior region, a longitudinal axis extending between the fore end and the aft end, wherein the vertical hull assembly has a generally tear drop shaped cross sectional profile extending along the longitudinal axis; and    one or more propulsion devices connected to the vertical hull assembly.    
     
     
         92 . The one or more propulsion devices of  claim 91 , comprising one or more motors attached to the hull, wherein each of the one or more motors are connected to one or more power sources and operatively attached to one or more propeller blades and arranged to project outwardly.  
     
     
         93 . The one or more propulsion devices of  claim 92 , wherein the one or more motors are controllable independently.  
     
     
         94 . The one or more propulsion devices of  claim 91 , comprising one or more motors located in the interior region of the vertical hull assembly, wherein the one more motors are connected to one or more shafts extending through the hull and attached operatively to one or more propeller blades project outwardly.  
     
     
         95 . The one or more propulsion devices of  claim 94 , wherein the one or more motors are controllable independently.  
     
     
         96 . An autonomous substantially watertight rudderless watercraft comprising: 
 a vertical hull assembly comprising a generally tear drop shaped cross sectional profile extending in the direction of travel and an interior region; and    a propulsion system connected to the vertical hull assembly.    
     
     
         97 . The apparatus of  claim 96 , wherein the propulsion system comprises one or more power sources linked to one or more internal motors connected to one or more shafts extending through the vertical hull assembly and operatively attached to one or more propeller blades.  
     
     
         98 . The apparatus of  claim 97 , wherein each of the one or more internal motors are controlled independently, wherein the one or more internal motors control both a directional and a forward motion of the autonomous surface watercraft.  
     
     
         99 . The apparatus of  claim 96 , wherein the propulsion system comprises one or more motors articulateably positioned on the vertical hull assembly, wherein the one or more motors are connected to one or more power sources and one or more propellers.  
     
     
         100 . The apparatus of  claim 96 , wherein each of the one or more motors are articulated independently, wherein the articulation controls both a directional and a forward motion of the autonomous surface watercraft.  
     
     
         101 . The apparatus of  claim 99 , wherein the one or more motors are encased in a housing.  
     
     
         102 . The apparatus of  claim 96 , wherein the propulsion system comprises one or more thrusters coupled to the vertical hull assembly.  
     
     
         103 . The apparatus of  claim 96 , wherein the propulsion system is connected to one or more modules.  
     
     
         104 . The apparatus of  claim 96 , wherein the propulsion system comprises one or more differential thrusters coupled to the vertical hull assembly, whereby the one or more differential thrusters control both a directional and a forward motion of the autonomous surface watercraft.  
     
     
         105 . The apparatus of  claim 96 , wherein the propulsion system comprises one or more independently controlled thrusters, wherein the one or more independently controlled thrusters control movement.  
     
     
         106 . The apparatus of  claim 96 , wherein the propulsion system comprises one or more independently controlled impellers.  
     
     
         107 . The apparatus of  claim 96 , further comprising a navigation module internally mounted and connected controllably to the propulsion system.  
     
     
         108 . The apparatus of  claim 107 , wherein the navigation module receives one or more signals from a global positioning system module and determines the positioning coordinate from a global positioning system.  
     
     
         109 . A program embodied in a computer readable medium for use in a navigation device: 
 a code sequence for gathering one or more signals;    a code sequence for processing the one or more signals; and    a code sequence for communicating with a propulsion system in response to the processed signal.    
     
     
         110 . A navigation system comprising: 
 a multi connection interface communicatively connecting two or more modules, whereby allowing communication between the two or more modules, wherein the two or more modules include one or more sensor modules, one or more communications modules, one or more scuttle ports, one or more power management modules, one or more water detector devices, one or more batteries, one or more navigation modules, one or more control modules, one or more sensors, one or more rudder modules, one or more GPS receiver modules, one or more hydrogen sensors, one or more command modules, one or more radio frequency detectors, one or more radio frequency transmitter modules, one or more radio frequency receiver modules, one or more signal processing modules, one or more deployable probe modules, one or more memory modules, one or more storage modules, one or more data acquiring modules, one or more data transferring modules, one or more battery charging modules or combination thereof; and    a propulsion system operatively connected to the multi connection interface.    
     
     
         111 . The navigation system of  claim 110 , wherein the navigation system is used for a foil shaped, rudderless, surface watercraft.