Leng

Exploration AUV for long-distance-missions


AUV Leng above the surface of the basin of the Maritime Exploration Hall of the DFKI. (Photo: Bilal Wehbe, DFKI)
AUV Leng above the surface of the basin of the Maritime Exploration Hall of the DFKI. (Photo: Bilal Wehbe, DFKI)

Technical Details

Size: Ø 0.22 m x approx. 3.5 m
Weight: 73 kg
Power supply:
Lithium-Polymer-Battery with 1.75 kWh at 48 V (approx. 10 hours endurance)
Speed: Approx. 3 m/s (6 kn)
Actuation/ Engine:
1 Main thruster (pan-tiltable), 2 lateral thrusters, each 600W. 2 buoyancy engines (each 0.7l volume)
Sensors:
Evologics S2CR 48/78 USBL, Rowe 1.2MHz dual-head DVL, KVH 1750 3-Achs FOG/IMU, Paroscientific series 6000 pressure sensor, Micron DST obstacle-avoidance sonar, 2x Reson TC4013 hydrophone, ground-stereo camera system, ground camera, docking-camera (all cameras HD, uncompressed full-frame recording), 9x 3500 lm LED-flasher
Communication:
USBL (modem function), Ethernet (when tethered with either copper or fiber cable, WiFi at the surface)
Datenverarbeitung:
3-Schichtiges Datenverarbeitungskonzept: ARM-Basiertes System-Managementmodul, Intel-Atom-Rechner für Navigation und Intel i7-Rechner für Bildverarbeitung

Organisational Details

Sponsor: Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology
German Aerospace Center e.V.
Grant number: The EurEx project is funded by the German Ministry of Economics (BMWI), Grant No. 50 NA 1217).
Application Field: Underwater Robotics
Space Robotics
Related Projects: TRIPLE-GNC
TRIPLE-Guidance, Navigation & Control DFKI subproject: acoustic and visual perception of a miniaturized autonomous underwater vehicle for exploration of subglacial lakes (06.2023- 09.2026)
TRIPLE-nanoAUV 1
Localisation and perception of a miniaturized autonomous underwater vehicle for the exploration of subglacial lakes (09.2020- 06.2023)
TRIPLE-MoDo
TRIPLE-Mobile Docking System: AI-based close-range navigation and control for soft-robotic-based docking systems (11.2020- 05.2023)
EurEx-SiLaNa
EurEx-Safe Long-Term Navigation (09.2017- 10.2019)
CUSLAM
Localization and mapping in confined underwater environments (09.2009- 07.2012)
EurEx
Europa-Explorer (12.2012- 04.2016)
FlatFish
Autonomous underwater vehicle (11.2013- 06.2017)
Related Robots: Teredo IceShuttle
Through-Ice-Cap Transfer-Vehicle & Base Station
DAGON
Related Software: Rock
Robot Construction Kit
This system is not actively used anymore.

System description

Project badge Europa-Explorer (Source: Marius Wirtz, DFKI)
The autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Leng was designed as long-distance exploration vehicle. Its shape was specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Europa-Explorer-Project: very small diameter (in order to fit into the ice drill) as well as a hydrodynamically optimized outer hull (in order to reduce energy consumption and enable long-range missions). The vehicle is equipped with a large number of different navigation sensors since localization quality and availability are of key importance – in the Europa-Explorer-scenario the vehicle has to return to its starting position (ice drill) even after having conducted long-distance missions.
Besides operating fully-autonomously, the AUV can be operated in hybrid-ROV-mode by connecting either a fiber or copper data cable.


Videos

LENG: Docking

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Fully autonomous docking of the AUV Leng with a mock-up of the ice-shuttle

Europa Explorer: LENG AUV undergoes an autonomous test mission

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In this video, the Leng AUV undergoes an autonomous test mission in the saltwater basin of the DFKI Robotics Innovation Center. This mission is analogous to a potential mission in the ice-covered ocean of Jupiter's moon Europa. The vehicle undocks from the IceShuttle and then searches for gliders which act as acoustic navigation aids in a future mission. Following this, the AUV descends by modifying its buoyancy and gliding. Then, the vehicle searches the bottom for a black smoker. Finally, following an ascent (not shown), the vehicle docks again at the IceShuttle to transfer data. The robot-view images seen throughout the video is from data transferred at the end of the mission.

AUV Leng: Feldtest unter dem Eis

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SherpaUW: Tests with hybrid underwater rover in the maritime exploration hall

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Photo gallery

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last updated 19.08.2024