Abstract: A shipping vessel is disclosed. The shipping vessel includes a vessel segment and a control system to control the vessel segment. The shipping vessel includes at least one first variable ballast tank and at least one second variable ballast tank adjacently positioned to the at least one first variable ballast tank. The at least one control system configured to receive a subroute comprising a target peak, a target trough, a target course, and a target waypoint. Based on the subroute, the at least one control system configured to selectively operate the at least one first variable ballast tank and the at least one second variable ballast tank to alter a travel state of the vessel segment among a positive buoyancy, a negative buoyancy, and a neutral buoyancy.

Abstract: A shipping vessel is disclosed. The shipping vessel includes a vessel segment and a control system to control the vessel segment. The shipping vessel includes at least one first variable ballast tank and at least one second variable ballast tank adjacently positioned to the at least one first variable ballast tank. The at least one control system configured to receive a subroute comprising a target peak, a target trough, a target course, and a target waypoint. Based on the subroute, the at least one control system configured to selectively operate the at least one first variable ballast tank and the at least one second variable ballast tank to alter a travel state of the vessel segment among a positive buoyancy, a negative buoyancy, and a neutral buoyancy.

Abstract: A variable ballast propulsion shipping vessel comprising a lead segment, a cargo segment(s), and/or a tail segment hingedly attached in series. Each lead and cargo segment includes a bottom-mounted fixed ballast, a top-mounted dorsal wing with rudder, and side mounted pairs of planed wings projecting laterally (fixed or stowable). An onboard variable ballast tank is selectively air filled using a compressed air compartment and water filled/exhausted using a ballast port(s). An battery bank is charged by an battery charger (e.g., using impellers) and powers an air compressor, rudder and/or planes. A cargo bay in the cargo segment(s) is accessible through a cargo door, a hatch, and/or a capped filler neck. A shipping vessel control system creates and distributes control commands (through wired and/or wireless interfaces) to selectively operate the respective ballast tanks of the lead and cargo segments to change travel state among positive, negative, and neutral buoyancies.

Abstract: A shipping vessel including a train for executing underwater travel is disclosed. The train is formed by a plurality of segments hingedly coupled to one another in a series. Each segment includes one or more variable ballast tanks and one or more hydrodynamic features. The shipping vessel includes a control system configured to cause the one or more variable ballast tanks of the plurality of segments to be selectively filled with and expelled of a fluid to correspondingly change buoyancies of the plurality of segments. The control system is configured to control the one or more hydrodynamic features in each segment to translate an underwater downward acceleration and the underwater upward acceleration into a desired direction as at least one of pitch and yaw. Thus, executing a glide maneuver to glide up and down underwater among the train of the plurality of segments and along a glide path.