Multiheterogeneous AUV Swarm Technology Exemplified by the MAUS Project: Cooperation, Mission Planning and Hybrid Communication

Abstract

The mobile autonomous underwater system (MAUS) aims to create next-generation vehicles, focusing on improved intelligence, mission operations, and application scenarios. Accordingly, two types of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have been developed to operate and collaborate in various applications. The first AUV, named “Hansel,” has hovering capabilities and is tailored to tasks, such as object inspection and detection. The second AUV, called “Gretel,” has going capabilities and is suitable for tasks, such as seafloor mapping. The two AUV types are equipped with different sensors, allowing them to perform distinct tasks simultaneously as a team. The going AUV has a robust navigation system that includes an inertial navigation system, an ultra-short baseline unit, and a Doppler velocity log for dead reckoning. In contrast, the hovering AUV only has a low-cost micro-electro-mechanical system. Gretel's navigation unit improves Hansel's navigation, along with data transfer between the vehicles. The AUVs rely on a hybrid communication system that integrates acoustic, inductive, and optical links to combine the strengths of each technology. To accomplish their individual goals, the AUVs participate in joint mission planning, utilizing a variety of sensors and tasks that are specific to each AUV. This approach is commonly referred to as multiheterogeneous AUV swarm technology. The multiheterogeneous concept developed in the MAUS project was experimentally validated in Kiel Fjord, located in the southwest Baltic Sea, and in La Spezia, Mediterranean Sea.