Mission demands-both military and civilian-continue to grow for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), ranging from clearing explosive mines to mapping the seafloor. But whether they skulk in the shallows of the littoral zone collecting intelligence or scan the oceans' depths for water temperature and salinity data, unmanned submersibles are only as effective as their communications system.rnAnd one major challenge to UUV and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) communication is the very environment they operate in-the underwater world. Most vehicles must either surface or deploy an antenna above the water to report back to base via satellite link, radio frequency or other wireless communication. Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) have a physical connection that makes communicating more reliable, but the linking tether is also a leash that limits how far the vehicles can roam.
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