Deep Thoughts Future Program Announcement

The Deep Thoughts program aims to develop novel small autonomous undersea vehicles (AUVs) that are independent of long-lead and architecturally-constraining components, quick to design, produce, integrate, and test, and easy to deploy from any possible host platform. The program will leverage advancements in materials, manufacturing, and next-generation structural and mechanical design technologies to dramatically reduce the size, cost, and development time of deep-ocean systems. Key areas of innovation include pressure-vessel design and novel approaches to the design, production, or integration of onboard components and subsystems. • The program seeks to develop AUVs with reduced size, cost, and development time. • Performers will leverage digital engineering tools and workflows to conduct design space exploration, optimize system concepts, and evaluate mission-relevant use cases. • The program will encourage collaboration among government and performer teams to accelerate the learning process. • Access to production capabilities will be necessary to support a fast-paced iterative development-test cycle.