A Methodology for Payload Design and Optimization of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

The development of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) is driven by careful design choices in order to obtain the best trade-off between mission performance and cost. Currently, several companies provide off-the-shelf solutions for a wide variety of operational scenarios offering highly modular systems. This allows users to customize the AUV integrating custom payloads tailored for specific applications. The factory customization has a strong impact on time and resources due to significant precautions to be taken. In particular, some design constraints must be respected for the mechanical integration ensuring, at the same time, the overall neutral buoyancy of the module to preserve the final trim of the AUV. Therefore, without a careful approach during the design phase, the risk of impairing the integrity and operation of the AUV could be high. This paper describes a design methodology for the proper development of custom payloads aimed to be integrated in AUVs. The proposed methodology has been applied in the manufacturing of a custom payload that has been integrated in the AUV X-300 of Graal Tech s.r.l. The methodology results as a useful tool for AUVs customization by providing detailed guidelines for the development of specific payloads for a wide range of applications.