Open Architecture Platform for Underwater Vehicles for Rapid Adaptation, Collaborative Sensing, Navigation, and Autonomy| SBIR

OUSD (R&E) critical technology area(s): Integrated Sensing and Cyber, Integrated Network Systems-of-Systems, Trusted AI and Autonomy, Human-Machine Interfaces

Objective: Develop and demonstrate a modular, open-architecture autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) platform that enables rapid payload adaptation, scalable fleet deployment, advanced multi-vehicle collaboration, and resilient autonomous navigation. By “open-architecture” we mean open/modular both for hardware reconfiguration as well adhering to open software standards for plug-and-play sensors/comms/nav/autonomy stacks. Said AUV platform should be two-person portable, and support operations for up to 24 hours. We expect the open architecture to allow for a wide variety of sensors and payloads, enabling collaborative sensing and other commercial and defense applications across a multifunctional fleet of vehicles.

Description: The maritime operational environment requires autonomous underwater platforms capable of executing a wide array of defense, commercial, and scientific missions without the constraints of traditional, proprietary architectures. Current systems often face limitations in payload flexibility, prolonged downtime for repairs, and challenges in multi-platform collaboration. This topic seeks the development of an AUV ecosystem that reduces mechanical complexity while maintaining strict control across the water column, including fixed-depth stationkeeping. Vehicle stability and predictable/reliable performance is key to getting usable data off the platform.

To achieve operational agility at scale, the proposed platform must support an end-to-end mission lifecycle approach. This involves AI-driven mission optimization to configure the ideal vehicle build, physics-based pre-deployment simulation to mitigate operational risk, and automated data offloading to enable continuous fleet-wide learning.

The architecture must demonstrate the following critical capabilities:

Phase I

This topic is soliciting Direct to Phase II (DP2) proposals only. Proposals will be considered for DP2 funding based on documented ability of the proposing team to build open-architecture autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) platform that enables rapid payload adaptation, scalable fleet deployment, advanced multi-vehicle collaboration, range, speed and stealth, and resilient autonomous navigation. Proposals must clearly demonstrate that the proposed technology can satisfy the feasibility criteria in the following domains:

• Vehicle Dynamics and Hydrodynamic Modeling: Data demonstrating the capability to model the propulsion performance, vehicle dynamics, and associated hydrodynamic signatures of individual underwater platforms.
• Acoustic Characterization and Localization: Data demonstrating the ability to characterize, localize, and estimate the acoustic signatures of individual platforms or multi-vehicle formations.
• Formation Stability and Communication Resilience: Analytical or algorithmic proof supporting stable formation control, ensuring coordinated maneuverability and consensus under degraded communication environments or platform performance.

Phase II

The purpose of Phase II is to develop and demonstrate a functional, in-water prototype of the open-architecture AUV. Performers will validate the rapid reconfiguration capabilities by successfully swapping payload housings and integrating new sensor packages within the targeted timeframe without specialized tools. Performers will conduct at-sea testing of the multimodal mesh communications and demonstrate dynamic, multi-vehicle collaborative sensing and autonomous navigation in a simulated operational environment.

Milestones:

• Month 2: Deliver hardware/software interface standards for the proposed modular flooded-hull AUV. Report must establish baseline specifications for the multimodal mesh network, external solid-state batteries, and AI-driven mission planning ecosystem.
• Month 6: Critical Design Review (CDR) of the design of the system architecture. CDR must include how to validate the physical and software interfaces for rapid payload adaptation.
• Month 10: Demonstrate the physics-based pre-deployment simulation environment. Integrate the core autonomy stack, including objective-based mission planning and market-based task allocation algorithms for multi-vehicle workloads.
• Month 14: Complete the build of the first functional AUV. This must include a physical demonstration validating that payload housings can be swapped within the target timeframe within 24 hours without specialized tooling.
• Month 18: Integrate and demonstrate the multimodal communications mesh (acoustic, RF, cellular, SATCOM). Conduct initial in-water testing of a single AUV to validate fixed-depth stationkeeping, propulsion endurance, and network connectivity.
• Month 22: Demonstrate a heterogeneous fleet of AUVs in a simulated operational environment. Demonstrate dynamic retasking, deconfliction, collaborative sensing, and automated data offloading across the mesh network.
• Month 24: Finalize the data analytics exploitation from the at-sea test. Deliver a finalized Phase III transition plan detailing scaling for fleet-wide deployment and integration into DoW/commercial enterprise architectures.

Phase III dual use applications

Phase III will be oriented to scaling the system for fleet-wide deployment and integration into broad defense and commercial enterprise architectures. The goal of Phase III will be to transition the platform into a commercially viable product capable of rapid payload integration for advanced undersea systems programs, facilitating accelerated experimentation and operational transition for end-users.resilience.

1. https://www.auvsi.org/advocacy/advocacy-initiatives/unmanned-maritime-autonomy-architecture/ (accessed 8 June 2026)
2. Rice, J. Undersea networked acoustic communication and navigation for autonomous mine-countermeasure systems. In 5th International Symposium on Technology and the Mine Problem 25 (2002).
3. Ma, D., Li, Y., Ma, T. & Pascoal, A. M. The state of the art in key technologies for autonomous underwater vehicles: a review. Eng. (2025). doi:10.1016/j.eng.2025.08.002

Keywords

autonomous underwater vehicle, open-architecture, rapid payload adaptation

TPOC-1-PoC

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