Hunting for mines with REMUS: a high performance, affordable, free swimming underwater robot

Over the past five years, Remote Environmental Measuring Unit(s) (REMUS) [1] has proven itself to be a reliable and affordable means of performing minefield and hydrographic reconnaissance missions in very shallow water (3 to 12 in depths) and in shallow water (12-30 in depths). Navy sponsored field evaluations and participation in Naval Fleet Battle Experiments, sponsored by ONR, have demonstrated that fleet personnel can successfully operate the system and that it has significant logistical advantages over traditional diver operated, marine mammal, and larger vehicle systems. The advantages of REMUS include the ease of planning and executing operations, its high area coverage rate, its endurance, and an overall reduction in logistical issues due to the system's small size and inherent portability. In addition, REMUS systems provide a complete solution, from mission planning and execution to post-mission analysis, including the generation of reports that aid in decision making at the command level. Navy personnel who have been trained in the operation of REMUS quickly gain confidence in programming, maintaining, and operating the system; they are often ready to take the system on an operation within days of seeing REMUS for the first time. REMUS has also demonstrated its compatibility with MEDAL during two fleet battle experiments. The capabilities of REMUS have drawn interest from many Navies throughout the world. Consideration of existing and future Naval requirements and the demonstrated capabilities of the system indicate that there is an even greater scope of missions that a REMUS system may be used for in the future. This paper reviews emerging requirements and the demonstrated capabilities of REMUS.