A decentralized control system based on parallel distributed processing is proposed for an autonomous underwater vehicle. Transputers and the Occam language were adopted for the implementation. It is attempted the use of a parallel object-oriented model for the investigation of coordination any cooperative criteria among control units. There is free use of sensory-driven responses, and commands based on internal mode1s of the environment. These characteristics are combined inside the control units, which exchange informations and share perstiives in order to solve problems. The development of this control system related to the problem of navigation and guidance near the sea boo is emphasized. A colision avoidance system based assisted by a grid map has been investigated, and some preliminary results of simulations are presented.