CONTROLLABLE VARIABLE BUOYANCY SYSTEM BASED ON ACTUATED FLEXIBLE MEMBERS OR STRUCTURES AND THEIR USES FOR PRECISE POSITIONING AND MANIPULATION UNDERWATER

摘要

The present invention relates to the variable buoyancy systems used in underwater vehicles and systems in order to control the depth of the system efficiently. The invention uses bellow with linear actuator to precisely vary the buoyancy by compressing or expanding the bellow. It can be used as a standalone system for depth positioning of sensor stations or as an add-on variable buoyancy system for AUVs/ROVs/submarines.