Hybrid Unmanned Aerial Underwater Vehicles: A Survey on Concepts and Technologies

Abstract

Hybrid Unmanned Aerial Underwater Vehicle (HUAUV) is a class of multi-modal mobile robots characterized by the ability to fly and navigate underwater, as well as being able to perform the transition between both environments. The development of modern vehicles of this class is driven by the enhancement of mobile robotic systems, sensors, and control techniques. However, the class definition and hierarchy for these vehicles are still vague and undefined. Therefore, this work presents a survey of concepts and prototypes of HUAUVs, developed from 2010 until 2022. The search for works was performed in relevant international conference proceedings and journals. We present a classification of state-of-the-art concepts and prototypes of HUAUVs based on specific main features of vehicles, allowing the identification of trends in HUAUV development, and an actuator-based taxonomy for HUAUVs. Hence, our categorization provides a more cohesive background for future works, as well as a better understanding of the main features of hybrid vehicles. Finally, a pragmatic approach to future applications is provided, given the current trends in Mobile Robotics, focusing on unmanned aerial/underwater vehicles.

Keywords: Unmanned Systems, Hybrid Vehicles, Hybrid UAV-UUV, Hybrid Quadrotor, Multi-modal Mobile Robots