Marine resident autonomous underwater vehicles (rauv) have the capability to unlock unprecedented leaps forward in protecting society, by improving early detection and warning of extreme events,…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded $190,000 to Hawaii Ocean Power Solutions LLC on September 1, 2026, under the NOAA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (CFDA 11.021) to develop wave energy conversion control methods that stabilize oscillating water column platforms for autonomous underwater vehicle docking infrastructure.

The project addresses the technical challenge of reliable docking for resident autonomous underwater vehicles (RAUVs) to floating wave energy conversion (WEC) platforms. Hawaii Ocean Power Solutions will conduct bench testing of novel thrusting technologies and pursue a techno-economic approach to identify energy-efficient control methods capable of temporarily stabilizing the WEC platform to create quasi-fixed docking infrastructure for torpedo-shaped AUVs. The work aims to enable RAUVs to improve early detection and warning of extreme marine events such as heatwaves and hurricanes by providing them with reliable, powered docking capability.

Performance occurs in Kailua, Hawaii, with a completion date of February 26, 2027. This Phase I award funds proof-of-concept research within the SBIR program structure that emphasizes technological innovation and commercialization pathways for small business.

Marine resident autonomous underwater vehicles (rauv) have the capability to unlock unprecedented leaps forward in protecting society, by improving early detection and warning of extreme events, such as marine heatwaves and hurricanes. Rauvs require reliable and powered docking infrastructure to be possible. Wave energy conversion (WEC) technology has the capacity to provide both power and the docking infrastructure. Although AUV docking to fixed infrastructure is possible, docking to floating objects remains unreliable. To improve the reliability of WEC-AUV docking, this project seeks to develop WEC control methods that will temporarily stabilize the WEC to create a floating platform that behaves like a quasi-fixed infrastructure. Bench testing of novel thrusting technologies hope to create energy efficient control methods for platforms that are otherwise energy limited. This project seeks to take a techno-economic approach to determining the best control methods for stabilizing an oscillating water column type WEC designed to provide docking infrastructure to torpedo shaped auvs.