NURC, a NATO Research Centre

NURC: Who We Are and

What We Do
2nd International Workshop on Intelligent
Underwater Systems and Technologies 2011

Dr. Vladimir Djapic

Scientist
NURC

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 NURC, a NATO Research Centre

NURC’s Place in NATO

NATO Council

Military CNAD Public

NC3Brd (Armaments Diplomacy CCMS
Committee
Directors) Division

ACO R&T
NC3A (SHAPE)
Board Science
Committee
ACT R&T
(was SACLANT)
Agency

NURC

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 NURC, a NATO Research Centre

Infrastructure

• 8 Buildings
• 10250 sq. meters
– 3250 m2 for offices
– 4000 m2 for labs & workshops
– 3000 m2 for warehouses
• 12 M EUR value
• Pagliari Pier (Alliance)
• CSSN Pier (Leonardo)

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 NURC, a NATO Research Centre

What We Do
• Conduct maritime research for
NATO and the Nations
• Conduct both basic research
(Science) and we apply that
knowledge to military
problems (Technology)

• Sea going capability to discover new

knowledge and to test technologies in
difficult environments
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NURC Staffing
9 Military, 58 Support staff Composition of Scientists by Nation since 1959

16
Engineers
26 Scientific
Assistants

34
Technicians
46 Scientists

122 Scientific core

92% of Scientists & Engineers
have advanced degrees
-Scientists in rotational positions
-Avg. scientific tenure ~ 5 – 6 yrs

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 NURC, a NATO Research Centre

NRV Alliance
Length overall = 93 metres
Gross tonnage = 3,180 tonnes
Moulded beam = 15.20 metres
Sustained sea speed (Clean Hull) = 16.3 knots
Draught, full load = 5.2 metres
Effective range at 11.5 knots = 7200 nm
Displacement, loaded = 2,920 tonnes
Endurance port to port = 26 days
Fuel consumption = approx. 8 tons per 24
hours of economical steaming at 12 knots. 5
tons per 24 hours of low speed scientific
operations.
Equipped with a suite of deck handling ‘A’
frames, multi-purpose winches, cranes and
workboats as well as with extensive laboratory
and working deck space.
CRV Leonardo
Diesel electric propulsion driving twin azimuthing thrusters
and one azimuthing pump jet bow thruster controlled by a
fully automated "Dynamic Positioning" (DP) and a Power
Management System.

Wet and dry laboratories, diving facilities and a suite of deck

handling cranes, winches and one A-frame provide the
necessary facilities to required for shallow seas scientific
research operations.

Equipped with a moon pool capable of ready depolyment of

experimental systems, a HiPap 500 acoustics tracking and
location device linked to the vessel's DP system, as well as
Kinematic GPS, LEONARDO provides a near perfect AUV/ROV
surface tracking platform.
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NURC’s Business:
• Surveillance
• Intervention

In the Maritime Environment

Cell nodes:
sensors, communication, energy, intelligence, mobility

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 NURC, a NATO Research Centre
Investment Quick
30 (Euros M) Reaction

SPOW CWP Payoff Time

0
10 5 1 (years)

Understanding

Technical Reputation Capacity to Deliver

Science, Engineering, Mission Core Competencies

Explore Develop Transition

At-Sea Experimentation
Demonstrate technologies in ACT Deliverables
Source of operational environments, DOTMLPFI
Engineering
shift funding, management,
Transformation Technical
further development
responsibilities to product Specifications for
line (final form, fit, function) NATO Nations

National
Business Idea Concept Development Product Feasibility Capabilities
Joint Education,
Product Line Activities Training, Research

Licensing
Spin-off Companies
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Networked array of mobile sensors (large aperture antenna) improves detection performance through:

o Spatial diversity
o Large domain size (scalable)
o Dynamic reconfiguration (adaptable)
o Mission-specific optimization (flexible)
o Intervention capability (actionable)

Probability of detection,
localization, identification
Extremely wide aperture,
divergent network provides
1.0 signal excess in space
through self-focusing
(pervasive) Extremely wide aperture,
convergent network provides
noise reduction in time
(persistent)

S/N

tod
ay

0
surface ships go-fast boats underway stationary proud mines buried mines
submarines submarines

moving targets fixed targets

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Integrated Development Projects

• Autonomous Naval Mine Countermeasures System
• Cooperative Mobile Sensor Networks for Anti-submarine Warfare
• Environmental Knowledge and Operational Effectiveness
• Marine Mammal Risk Mitigation
• Maritime Situational Awareness
• Non-Lethal Response for Ship/Port Protection

Exploratory Research Projects

• Advanced Data Fusion for Military Surveillance
• Propagation of Uncertainty in Ocean Acoustics
• Dynamics of Autonomous Surveillance Systems
• Entropy in Maritime Traffic: Sensing by Inference
• Wind and Wave Information from Marine Radar Images

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 NURC, a NATO Research Centre

Collaboration with LABUST, University of Zagreb

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Task 1: Autonomous mine search with on-board processing and decision making
Task 2: New concepts for mine neutralisation

Courtesy of J. Groen, E. Coiras and

D.P. Williams (NURC)
Survey
Data

OBJECT
LOCATIONS

CLICK ON CONTACT
Fusion of several views
of a cylindrical target
SMALL CIRCLE
AREA & HOLD
SEARCH IN VIEW

CLASSIFICATION DONE
GO TO NEXT CONTACT

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 NURC, a NATO Research Centre

Autonomous Naval MCM Neutralisation System

Perform maritime mine neutralisation more efficiently and cost-effectively

using a system of cooperative autonomous vehicles
• The collaboration between the highly capable AXV: ASV or AUV and a low-
cost, hence less capable, mine intervention vehicle is an essential element
• This is a master/slave type of collaboration in which master is guiding the
slave to the target
13
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Autonomous vs. Automatic System slide 13
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Imaging Sonar Based Guiding

Real Data BV 900 kHz

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ASV and ROV Modification

P&T
P&T
batteries/electronics
batteries/electronics

Release
Release mechanism
mechanism
$6K

GPS
GPS tracker
tracker

Modem
Modem

P&T
P&T BV
BV sonar
sonar aROV
aROV

aBOX
aBOX

Theory -> Simulation -> In-water Verification

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m = 4 kg

m = 7.5 kg

m = 20 kg

Dynamics of the marine vessel change significantly! slide 16

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 NURC, a NATO Research Centre

Assets

• LEONARDO CRV
• Catamaran ASV
• Stationary Tower
• REMUS AUV
• Goldrake UUV

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REMUS Survey/Imagery

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ASV Deployment/Recovery

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 NURC, a NATO Research Centre
m10-dk20-tilt12 m10-dk25-tilt12

Maintain Distance

m10-circle-10-tilt12

Maintain Radius
Survey

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Telecamera Image

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Real Data BV 900 kHz: Sonar Based Wireless Guiding

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Real Data BV 900 kHz: Sonar Based Wireless Guiding

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 NURC, a NATO Research Centre

Student Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Challenge

Europe (SAUCE)
• NURC hosted the 5th Student Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Challenge Europe
(SAUC-E ‘10) from 28 June to 04 July 2010
• Held since 2006, SAUC-E challenges the next generation of engineers to design
and build an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) capable of performing
realistic missions
• Designed to encourage students to think about underwater technology
and related applications while fostering innovation and technology
• Aims at getting young engineers and scientists to consider careers in the field
• Held at the NURC waterfront, in a realistic environment, a sheltered harbour
with salt water and limited visibility
• Nine teams from UK, France, Germany, and Spain
• University of Girona took a 1st Prize

“The Centre is pleased to organise this year’s SAUC-E, and will be hosting the
event in 2011 and 2012 as well,” said the Director of NURC, Dr. Martin-Lauzer. “We
want to be involved in providing students with the opportunity to experience first-
hand the challenges of underwater technologies, and to nurture interest in this area
of research.” http://sauc-europe.org/
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SAUCE 2010
Validation Gate

Circular Path

Start 1 Start 2
Surfacing Zone

Gate 2
Wall to be
surveyed

Mid Column

Courtesy of Heriot-Watt

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REMUS Integration

1) External Generic Sensor Interface

- provides sensor manufacturers with specifications on size, power req.
- communication protocol for data to be properly stored internally by the
vehicle
- BV done before, P&T: 2.68 kilograms (in water)

2) “Communication Protocol for External Control of REMUS Class Autonomous

Underwater Vehicles, Version 1.1”, WHOI document

- guidance (i.e. heading, speed, and altitude) commands slide 28

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