A simple approach to planning and executing complex AUV missions

The authors have implemented a simple solution to mission planning for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) which, together with a layered control architecture due to Zheng (1992), results in a reliable and flexible AUV control system. Extending the concept of a highly configurable control system, the solution is to provide the capability for user-defined mission scripts to specify AUV missions. Mission scripts provide configurable, high-level sequence control. The mission script language has been used in the layer-based subsumption and cooperation environment during recent sea trials of the ARCS AUV. The ARCS AUV was the vehicle used for prototype demonstration and development of the technology. The mission script language and the online mission editor which allows the operator to modify mission plans and override mission parameters during mission execution are described