Recent Application of Acoustic Tracking and Communications to Improve the Navigational Accuracy of an AUV, and Expansion of this Concept to Multiple Surface and Subsurface Vehicles

Navigational accuracy of AUVs at the University of Southern Mississippi has been improved by upgrading to a modern USBL tracking and acoustic communications system. By transmitting timestamped vehicle positions during the tracking cycle, this input can optionally be applied to the vehicle’s inertial navigation system. This integration builds upon previous attempts to incorporate USBL position aiding and communicate without interfering with other acoustic systems. By extending the concept of single-vehicle operations, potential applications are considered. Specifically, an AUV being handed-off to a surface vehicle is considered, along with USBL-aided formation control for multiple subsurface vehicles.