Demonstrated performance of economical, man-portable AUVS in multi-vehicle coastal surveys

Abstract

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have the demonstrated technical capability to support environmental characterization for commercial, research, and military applications. The track record of AUVs in this mission area over the past decade has resulted in a growing confidence in the reliability and performance of AUVs, and with this confidence comes a rapid increase in the expected breadth and complexity of applications. The historical approach to developing these new capabilities has been grounded in hardware and sensor integration. This approach addresses the immediate need to meet a specific requirement, but it does not address the long term solution for coordinating operations of increasingly complex AUVs in rapid response scenarios. The chasm between technical capability and effective performance will continue to widen until dedicated work addresses a concept of operations and the ability to delegate command and control to the lowest level through increased vehicle autonomy. Critical gains in operational effect can be realized in military applications through this approach and greatly expand the role of forward-deployed tactical teams performing Rapid Environmental Assessment without dedicated special team resources. Recognized Environmental Picture 10A (REP10A) offers an opportunity to evaluate a unique CONOPS for military survey operations in shallow coastal waters. Low-cost commercial AUVs are employed for coordinated operations in shore- and ship-launched scenarios to address on-scene, evolving search and survey operations without the logistical and support requirements of special teams normally associated with this tasking. Lightweight AUVs can be launched/recovered by a single operator in a one-to-many coordinated survey that streamlines time, maximizes the synoptic nature of the measurements, and reduces mission risk. On-scene products are generated from the AUVs upon completion of the mission, and data is provided to central access points to support environmental modeling. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Faculdade de Engenharia - Universidade do Porto, Marinha Portuguesa, and OceanServer Technology, Inc. are the primary participants bringing in-water resources to REP10A. Technical support and products are provided by the Naval Research Laboratory - Stennis Space Center, Naval Oceanographic Office, NATO Undersea Research Centre, University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth, and YSI, Inc. Primary goals of REP10A are evaluation of CONOPS, on-scene products, and reach-back support products. A focus on lightweight AUV-based multibeam swath bathymetry, side scan sonar performance, 3-D water characterization, AUV autonomy, validation of remotely sensed bathymetry, and initialization/steering of near-shore circulation and structure models is maintained during the test.