Autonomous System Architecture

Autonomy in underwater vehicles can be viewed as a spectrum, in terms of levels of autonomy and layers of system architecture. Modularity of AUV hardware and software is discussed. Concepts and examples of middleware are examined and compared. These aspects form the core of the ‘autonomous’ feature of AUVs, and ultimately determine their ability to execute missions in spite of environmental uncertainties. Future trends include autonomous decision-making, user interfaces and data management.