An
autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is a
robot which travels underwater without requiring input from an operator. AUVs constitute part of a larger group of undersea systems known as
unmanned underwater vehicles, a classification that includes non-autonomous
remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) – controlled and powered from the surface by an operator/pilot via an umbilical or using remote control. In military applications AUVs are more often referred to simply as
unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs).