Autonomous underwater vehicles have been used by scientists for underwater research as well as oil and gas companies for deep water surveys.
China recently completed construction on the Zhu Hai Yun, an unmanned ship made to transport drones and AUVs that utilizes artificial intelligence to navigate the seas with no crew required.Boeing's lineup of unmanned, undersea vehicles can operate autonomously for months at a time on a hybrid rechargeable propulsion power system. Pictured above is the 18-foot Echo Ranger.
AUVs can be helpful tools in military ocean exploration, obtaining critical information such as mapping the seafloor, looking for mines — a current use case in the Russia-Ukraine war — and supplying underwater surveillance. Navies worldwide are investing in unmanned underwater vehicles to elevate their fleet of below-water defense tools.