The NRL Spacecraft Engineering Department (SED) engineers have demonstrated the transfer of robotic fluids from a stationary platform to an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) in waves over 3 ft high.
With the Rapid Autonomous Fuel Transfer (RAFT) project, the tracking potential of the Sea Fox naval vessel’s motion has been demonstrated. Tracking is followed by safely positioning the magnetic refueling equipped to an on-board refueling receptacle, thereby achieving the transfer of fluids.
The naval USV missions can be improved by increasing the potential of the host ship to refuel USVs, also minimizing host ship exposure and risks pertaining to the personnel and vessel equipments.
At the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center wave simulator facility, the NRL engineers conducted experiments with fully autonomous as well as maneuver operations. Around 60 trial refueling efforts were performed at sea states ranging from zero, or maximum wave heights exceeding 3 ft, or calm seas to 3.25 ft, which resulted in a high success rate.
The Rapid Autonomous Fuel Transfer (RAFT) project was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). A part of this initiative, NRL was partnered with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Clemson University, and Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR). NRL was the chief robotics integrator, designing and developing the robotics system.
Additional robotic transfer tests will be conducted that include land-based autonomous HMMV (High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) applications and on-air Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) refueling.
Source: http://www.nrl.navy.mil/