EOD Underwater Hull Inspection

QinetiQ North America, along with its teammate, the Applied

Research Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University (PSU-ARL),
has developed EOD HULS, an unmanned underwater vehicle
(UUV) with an imaging sensor payload, crawler, and operator
control unit that performs EOD hull inspections.
HULS removes the immediate danger associated with EOD
diver inspections. It provides operators with high-quality sonar
imagery (tagged with appropriate target localization informa-
tion) coupled with up-close video to minimize false detections.
HULS is a two-vehicle system deployed to survey an underwater
structure; determine the presence of an object of interest (OOI);
transmit the image for operator evaluation; mark the position
for further evaluation; and return to the object for detailed
visual assessment and potential neutralization.
EOD HULS Underwater Hull Crawler

The Swimmer Carrier Vehicle (SCV) is ideal for harbor incur-

sion. Its dual thrusters allow it to turn within its hydrodynamic
center so that it is highly maneuverable in tight spaces.
In addition to housing the inspection sonar, the SCV carries
the small, crawling robot for deploying near OOIs for up-close
visual inspections as needed.
The small crawling robot can be deployed from the SCV, placed
from the ships deck or manually placed onto the hull. Crawling
with fixed permanent magnets, it provides a unique under-
water inspection tool to augment the capabilities of the sonar
imaging system on the SCV and provides unique access to
areas unreachable by any swimming robot.
EOD HULS Swimmer Carrier Vehicle (SCV)

SCV Specifications Crawler Specifications

Weight ~130 lbs Weight ~13 lbs
Dimensions 36 L x 18 W x 8 H Dimensions 10 L x 7 W x 3.5 H
Range, Depth 4 nautical miles on a single charge,
Range, Depth Continuous (120 VAC or battery
200 feet
available), 200 feet
Vehicle Control Autonomous or semi-autonomous/
manual Vehicle Control Autonomous or semi-autonomous/
manual
Obstacle Avoidance Profiling sonar for hull detection and
stand-off Obstacle Avoidance Detects cliffs and walls
Imaging Side scan sonar
Imaging Video camera
Resolution (longitudinal resolution of ~ 1cm/
pixel) Maximum Speed ~ 3 meters/minute
Maximum Speed ~ 4 knots Programmability Non-contact IR communications
Hull Imaging Rate ~ 200 m /minute
2
Towing Capacity Up to 50 lbs vertically

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EOD HULS side-sonar image collected and stitched in real-time for a 530 ft long vessel, with automatically identified OOIs marked for further
investigation. Complete scan took approximately 25 minutes to complete. Side-sonar (with a resolution of ~ 1 cm/pixel), provides adequate
image quality to detect and classify OOIs on the vessel hull; deployment of the crawler provides classification and identification of OOIs.

cargo since its debut in August 2006. Its Ears Gunshot Local-
ization Systems won a 2009 Best of Whats New award from
Popular Science magazine.
TSG has extensive experience with government acquisition
systems for both domestic and international entities. It is
certified to Aerospace Quality Management Standard AS9100
and has SW-CMM Level 3 software certification.

CONOPS depicting an EOD technician operating the OCU unit
remotely from a RHIB. Illustration also shows the SCV performing a
hull sweep independently of its deployed crawler robot. This saves
time while still allowing up-close inspections of identified OOIs
when needed
Robotic Experience
With an emphasis on delivering systems that work in opera-
tional environments rather than on the factory floor, QinetiQ
North America has been designing and building robots for over
50 years. We develop and produce mobile robots that are reli-
able and supportable even in the harshest of conditions. The
most well known is our TALON robot. TALON is a powerful, du-
rable, lightweight tracked vehicle used for explosive ordnance
disposal, recon, communications, hazmat, security, defense and
rescue. TALON robots have been in continuous, active military
service since 2000 when they were successfully used in Bosnia
for the safe movement and disposal of live grenades. QinetiQ
North America has delivered almost 3,000 TALON robots, which
have been utilized to complete thousands of EOD missions in
Iraq and Afghanistan.

Corporate Experience
The Technology Solutions Group (TSG) of QinetiQ North
America, headquartered in Waltham, MA, delivers high tech-
nology research services and development of defense and
security related products to the defense, civilian government,
and commercial markets. TSG invents and markets unmanned
vehicle, warfighter, security, C4ISR, biomedical and commercial
products. TSG works in the following specific technical areas:
Unmanned System Survivability
Managed Technical Human and Intelligent
Services Systems
C4ISR Platform Systems
Spectro Products

TSG has an international reputation for developing and deliver-

ing innovative products and systems that perform under the
most demanding conditions. Its TALON robots are widely
used in Iraq and Afghanistan to disable roadside bombs and its
LAST Armor has been used to up-armor thousands of combat TALON robot being prepared by an EOD technician to inspect an IED;
air and land vehicles since its debut in Operation Desert Storm keeping the technician out of harms way.
in 1991. Its Precision Air Drop System (PADS), which literally
steers cargo to its destination, has been used on hundreds of For further information, please contact
missions and has handled more than 10 million pounds of Ken.Heller@QinetiQ-NA.com