Methods and underwater bases for using autonomous underwater vehicle for marine seismic surveys

1. A recovery underwater base for handling plural autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) equipped with seismic sensors for recording seismic signals during a marine seismic survey, the recovery underwater base comprising:

a storing part configured to store the plural AUVs;

an inlet part located above the storing part and configured to control access of the plural AUVs to the storing part;

a control part configured to control a movement of the inlet part; and

a support part configured to support the control part, the storing part and the inlet part and to prevent a burial of the recovery underwater base into an ocean bottom,

wherein the control part is further configured to acoustically guide the plural AUVs to the storing part through the inlet part.

2. The recovery underwater base of claim 1 , wherein the control part comprises:

an acoustic system configured to generate acoustic signals for guiding an AUV to the inlet part; and

a control system configured to control the acoustic system.

3. The recovery underwater base of claim 2 , wherein the acoustic system comprises:

only first and second transducers (T 1 , T 2 ) configured to emit the acoustic signals.

4. The recovery underwater base of claim 2 , wherein the acoustic system comprises:

first and second transducers (T 1 , T 2 ) configured to emit the acoustic signals.

5. The recovery underwater base of claim 3 , wherein the first and second transducers (T 1 , T 2 ) are located on a central pole.

6. The recovery underwater base of claim 5 , wherein the first and second transducers are symmetrically distributed on the central pole relative to a recovery navigation plane that is substantially perpendicular to the central pole.

7. The recovery underwater base of claim 6 , wherein the recovery navigation plane intersects the inlet part.

8. The recovery underwater base of claim 6 , wherein the recovery navigation plane intersects the inlet part and is located above the storing part.

9. The recovery underwater base of claim 1 , wherein the inlet part comprises:

an AUV interface configured to detect an impact of an AUV with the inlet part.

10. The recovery underwater base of claim 9 , wherein the AUV interface includes piezoelectric fabric material.

11. The recovery underwater base of claim 9 , wherein the inlet part is configured to determine which AUV has collided with the AUV interface.

12. The recovery underwater base of claim 9 , wherein the inlet part is configured to instruct a colliding AUV to shut off its propulsion mechanism.

13. The recovery underwater base of claim 12 , wherein the inlet part has a shape that is configured to deviate a trajectory of the colliding AUV toward the storing part.

14. A recovery underwater system for plural autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the system comprising:

a recovery underwater base for handling the plural AUVs;

a vessel for deploying the recovery underwater base underwater; and

the plural AUVs being equipped with seismic sensors for recording seismic signals during a marine seismic survey,

wherein the recovery underwater base is configured to generate acoustic signals that guide the plural AUVs inside a storing part of the recovery underwater base and the recovery underwater base further includes an inlet part located above the storing part and configured to control access of the plural AUVs to the storing part, and a control part configured to control a movement of the inlet part.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein

the control part is further configured to acoustically guide the plural AUVs to the inlet part.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the control part comprises:

an acoustic system configured to generate acoustic signals for guiding the plural AUVs to the inlet part; and

a control system configured to control the acoustic system,

wherein the acoustic system comprises first and second transducers (T 1 , T 2 ) configured to emit the acoustic signals.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first and second transducers (T 1 , T 2 ) are located on a central pole and the first and second transducers are symmetrically distributed on the central pole relative to a recovery navigation plane that is substantially perpendicular to the central pole.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the recovery navigation plane intersects the inlet part and is located above the storing part.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the inlet part comprises:

an AUV interface configured to detect an impact with any one of the plural AUVs,

wherein the control system is configured to determine which of the plural AUVs has collided with the AUV interface; and

each of the plural AUVs is configured to receive instructions, after colliding with the AUV interface, to shut off its propulsion mechanism.

20. A recovery underwater base for handling plural autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) equipped with seismic sensors for recording seismic signals during a marine seismic survey, the recovery underwater base comprising:

an inlet part configured to receive the plural AUVs, wherein the inlet part is located above a storing part, which is configured to store the plural AUVs; and

a control part configured to control a movement of the inlet part relative to the storing part,

wherein the control part is further configured to acoustically guide the plural AUVs to the storing part through the inlet part.