Flying acoustic modem: Results and future concepts of operation

Results driven AUV operations are complex and when multiple AUVs are deployed, a large number of problems arise. One such problem is the communications between the network of AUVs and the human operators. In this paper, we strive to explore one of the steps taken in order to develop a novel solution to this particular problem. When a AUV is deployed for a high endurance mission, having it resurface periodically can be a time consuming and hazardous proposition. In one hand there is the need to protect and maintain the mission, while in the other there is the need for the human operator to receive and assimilate data mid-mission. The Flying Modem is a UAV with water-landing capabilities, that also carries an acoustic modem, effectively becoming a mobile, acoustic to Wi-Fi relay point in the mission network. It allows the AUV to communicate with it and then have the UAV relay the data to base. In the presence of multiple AUVs, the UAV needs to predict their potential location and determine the best route to meet all AUVs. For this paper we developed a path planning technique that ensures that all of the AUVs are visited by the UAV within a given sortie.