SLITA: A new slim towed array for AUV applications

We present an adaptive, data driven Mission Management Layer (MML) to manage the phases (surveillance, track prosecution and target reacquisition) of the mission of AUVs operating as receiver nodes in a multistatic network for littoral surveillance. Among the tracks produced by the on board tracker, the MML selects those which are likely originated by a target. The MML then issues commands to the vehicle Control Layer to trigger data-driven optimization behaviours to prosecute these candidate tracks.Selecting few candidate tracks is indeed crucial since the addressed scenario usually presents many tracks hence resulting challenging from the tracking point of view. To select the candidate tracks, a metric is introduced to quantify their quality. It is based on the kinematic features of the target, on an acoustic model and on the quality of measurement-totrack associations. By selecting a limited subset of produced tracks, the MML can improve the benefits of using datadriven behaviours activating them only on interesting cues and reducing the time wasted to optimize tracks not related to a target. This aims at achieving a balance between the surveillance of the area of interest and exploitation of target cues (tracks). These features are essential for improving the overall mission performance and for an effective AUV decision making in realistic conditions. We present results from sea trials demonstrating the effectiveness of our approach and how the proposed MML can represent a step forward towards the full autonomy of our system. These results represent one of the first examples of AUVs autonomously taking decisions in a realistic and complex littoral surveillance scenario.

show abstract

“…The OEX AUVs were both deployed with the BENS slim towed array (SLITA) [26]. The arrays are deployed approximately 3.5 m behind the vehicle.…”

Section: A Cmre Cooperative Asw Multistatic Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards fully autonomous underwater vehicles in ASW scenarios: An adaptive, data driven AUV mission management layer

Ferri

Goldhahn

LePage

2015

OCEANS 2015 - Genova

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The OEX AUVs were both deployed with the BENS slim towed array (SLITA) [32]. The arrays are deployed approximately 3.5 m behind the vehicle.…”

Section: Equipmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive autonomous underwater vehicles for littoral surveillance

Kemna

Hamilton

Hughes

et al. 2011

Intel Serv Robotics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have gained more interest in recent years for military as well as civilian applications. One potential application of AUVs is for the purpose of undersea surveillance. As research into undersea surveillance using AUVs progresses, issues arise as to how an AUV acquires, acts on, and shares information about the undersea battle space. These issues naturally touch on aspects of vehicle autonomy and underwater communications, and need to be resolved through a spiral development process that includes at sea experimentation. This paper presents a recent AUV implementation for active antisubmarine warfare tested at sea in the summer of 2010. On-board signal processing capabilities and an adaptive behavior are discussed in both a simulation and experimental context. The implications for underwater surveillance using AUVs are discussed.

show abstract

“…The use of the linear SLIm Towed Array (SLITA) [14] means that an ambiguous return is created for every true detection and this replication is mirrored in the display where true contacts have an ambiguous 'ghost' The tracking was carried out using a simple baseline one-step ahead Kalmanfilter based tracker which has been developed as part of NURC's Multistatic Tactical Planning Aid initiative [8]. An example track-level output obtained for one of the GLINT09 experiments is shown in Figure 4.…”

Section: B Real-time Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cooperative anti-submarine warfare at NURC moving towards a net-centric capability

Been

Hughes

Potter

et al. 2010

Oceans'10 Ieee Sydney

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The NATO Undersea Research Centre (NURC) conducts research on off-board Low Frequency Active (LFA) sensors for use in Cooperative distributed ASW (CASW). The objective is to create a scalable and autonomous system that removes vulnerable personnel from the vicinity of high risk, is cheaper than conventional ship-based sonar and that potentially leverages the benefits of multi-static operations by creating an increased diversity of assets and spatial distribution. Such systems would also release personnel to perform tasks elsewhere. The NURC intends to prototype an open-architecture system with a high degree of interoperability in a concept demonstration in 2012.

show abstract

SLITA: A new slim towed array for AUV applications

Cited by 25 publications

References 0 publications

Towards fully autonomous underwater vehicles in ASW scenarios: An adaptive, data driven AUV mission management layer

Towards fully autonomous underwater vehicles in ASW scenarios: An adaptive, data driven AUV mission management layer

Adaptive autonomous underwater vehicles for littoral surveillance

Cooperative anti-submarine warfare at NURC moving towards a net-centric capability

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About