Mission planner for multiple AUVs: Verification procedures combining simulations and experiment

This paper presents a mission control system (MCS) for a cooperative system of LAUVs. The proposed method is part of a system for operating several AUVs on a joint mission. The system is run on software and hardware from LSTS in Porto. The MCS can function as the only command and control software in the system or in integrated with Neptus, the command and control software offered in the LSTS-tool chain. The proposed mission planner has been tested through simulations and experiments conducted in the Trondheim Fjord on a cooperative system consisting of two AUV simulators and LAUV Fridtjof. The results are very promising, the MCS performed in accordance with its requirements, and the formation control proved able to control the formation during mission execution