The field or Autonomous Underwater Vehicles is growing at a record pace. Small mini-unmanned submarines will be able to do a multitude of tasks for mankind. These little underwater robotic units will be able to guard our harbors, help with environmental remediation and explore our oceans, even warn us of impending Tsunamis!

Is there a way to collect vibrational energy from the water as it moves across the hulls of these mini-submarine vehicles? Some say yes and others say that the amount of energy would be too small to be of any value. Really? Any value you say? What about trickle charging the onboard ion-lithium battery? Every little bit helps and efficiency is key. An AUV floats so it does not use a lot of energy except to propel its self.

What if we were to take the friction induced trading of electrons off the surface of the hull to power it up. Using the buffeting of the water off the propulsion system could work too. Move the propellers to the front use the energy of the buffeting off the surface to power up some vibrational energy. Many researchers say, sure you could do that and maybe you could get the craft to move a little faster so what?

Others say if you move the propellers forward then your craft has to swim against or thru the water flow you created thus slowing it down? Yet one would not have to have it flowing across it, but rather around it. For instance four propellers, which were off set and away from the AUV itself and as they created bubbles they would make the water less dense and easier to go through and the cavity behind the craft would be filled in quicker meaning if you had one more propeller in the rear it would have a better push off affect?

The race to build the most efficient AUV is on as researchers and robotic students work towards the challenge. One recent think tanker suggested an outer skin, which has natural motion, which matches exactly what the water flow over the hull wants to do already. And it will change based on water pressure and speed of flow and relative flows all the time, but an on board computer knows this. To slow down or stop you punch in the opposite of the BMP hull-induced waves. Then use the resistance to charge the batteries of the sub.

Such an idea might be great for diving and then stopping while collecting energy for future propulsion. Many young up and coming robotic students want to re-design most of the submarine body and surely some bright mind somewhere will indeed figure it all out for us very soon. Will it be you? Think on this in 2006.