Fabrication of a Fleet of Mini-AUVs

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Fabrication of a Fleet of Mini-AUVs

D. B. Edwards

We designed and fabricated four mini-autonomous underwater vehicles (mAUVs). These vehicles are used to provide an inexpensive method for testing communication and control algorithms for multiple vehicles. The vehicle testing is being performed at the NSWCCD Acoustic Research Detachment, ARD, in Bayview, Idaho. The mechanical-design of these vehicles was based in the Virginia Polytechnic Institute but with the addition of a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) micro-modem that allowed for underwater communication and positioning. The control system for the mAUV also uses an innovative distributed computing approach developed at the UI consisting of multiple low- cost microcontrollers and was also different from the Virginia Polytechnic vehicle design. In addition, equipment for a Baseline Navigation System was included in this development to monitor and provide LBL positioning data for the mAUVs. This work supplements work currently underway at the University of Idaho funded by the Office of Naval Research.