Multiple Autonomous Surface Vehicles for Autonomous Cooperative Navigation Tasks in a Marine Environment: Development and Preliminary Field Tests

This paper presents the development and field testing of multiple autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) for cooperative navigation tasks in marine environments. The developed ASVs were designed a catamaran hull form, various systems related to functionalities, including electrical propulsion, wireless communication, guidance, navigation, control (GNC) systems, integrated with situational awareness sensor system. Because not all data can be shared owing large network load, communication protocol structure was enhance management efficiency. Furthermore, between ASVs, system synchronously motion information through robot operating (ROS) multi-master In particular, an autonomy framework enable maneuvering global satellite (GNSS)-denied environment. approach based on relative geometric implemented framework, which incorporated capabilities following predefined path maintaining specific formation distance ASVs. Moreover, demonstrate essential functional preliminary tests conducted inland water environment, test results are discussed this paper.