Autonomous Operation of a Coordinated Underwater Glider Fleet
Abstract
Webb Research Corporation (WRC) and Rutgers University (RU) plan to provide an important advance in regional-scale coastal ocean observation programs by operating a coordinated fleet of glider AUVs in an intelligent adaptive network. Slocum autonomous underwater vehicle Gliders (AUVGs) are uniquely mobile network components capable of moving to specific locations and depths, occupying controlled spatial and temporal grids, and will conduct their third annual test this July during the final ONR-sponsored Coastal Predictive Skill Experiment (CPSE) at Rutgers' local-scale (30 km x 30 km) Long-term Ecosystem Observatory (LEO). Over the following year, a fleet of second-generation Slocum Gliders will be constructed by WRC and utilized at RU for operation within the developing regional-scale (300 km x 300 km) New Jersey Shelf Observing System (NJSOS). The challenge ahead is to determine how best to operate a coordinated fleet of Gliders beneath the spatially-extensive regional remote sensing systems given cues from multiple real-time datasets and model forecasts. This requires the development and testing of (a) new compact and low-power physical, chemical, and bio-optical sensors for the Gliders, (b) ocean feature detection software to provide the cues and response on an individual and fleet scale, (c) new bi-directional robust communications systems, and (d) a networked autonomous Glider command/control center.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA625255
Entities
People
- Clayton Jones