Collaboration of Marine Robots Towards Dynamic Target Localization and Tracking

This paper addresses challenges in underwater robot localization and navigation in GPS-denied and communication- constrained environments. A collaborative team of three unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) is proposed to acoustically detect, track, and localize a mobile, evasive underwater target with uncertain pose. An autonomous path-planning and task- allocation node manages robotic collaboration in marine environments. A novel algorithm is developed that combines predictive information measures with Q-Learning for collaborative trajectory planning. The algorithm adapts to conditions that impact detection with acoustic range-only measurements and coordinates the team of UUVs to improve target localization accuracy. Simulation results show superior performance of the collaborative 3-UUV system compared to long baseline localization.