-Sampling is a critical problem in the observation of underwater phenomena using single or multiple AUV platforms. The determination of optimal paths and sampling strategies that effectively utilize available resources is critical to these missions. Recent work performed jointly at RPI and AUSI on the development of Adaptive Sampling Algorithms (ASA) utilizes information measures, estimation theory, and potential fields to direct the robots to the locations in space most likely to yield information about the sensed field variable of interest. Typical sensory information can consist of spatial distribution of one or more field variables, such as salinity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, current, etc. In order to test our algorithms we have created the MATCON simulation environment, an underwater experimental platform using solar AUVs, and a land-based experimental testbed using inexpensive wheeled robots.
The solar-powered autonomous underwater vehicle (SAUV) platform has been developed over the past several years as a means to achieve long-endurance cooperative missions, and the design of mobile routing protocols has become one of the main areas of focus during this process. This paper reports on the lessons learned from the design, simulation-based evaluation, and field testing of two protocols. Two areas for possible improvements are proposed and evaluated using simulations. Finally, we present suggestions drawn from field experience for improving the design, simulation, and evaluation of protocols for use in a harsh underwater environment. protocols including their methods of coordination: the exchange of control messages.Based on our field experience, however, we find that the underwater environment is significantly more challenging than has been assumed in much of the previous simulation of these protocols; even shortterm stability of a communication channel cannot be taken for granted. This, combined with high signal propagation latency and low data rates, severely limits the applicability of such protocols to fleets of AUVsthe exchange of control messages is both expensive and unreliable. As a result, we believe that robustness If we consider the total cost of delivering a packet to be the number of times a copy of the packet is transmitted, then the cost of limited flooding in a contiguous network becomes the number of nodes (each node will retransmit the packet exactly once). In the original
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