Mission planning and mission control software for the Phoenix Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) : implementation and experimental study

Abstract

The Naval Postgraduate School Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Phoenix, has a well developed lower level architecture (Execution level) while the upper, Strategic and especially the Tactical, levels need refinement. To be useful in the fleet an easier means of creating mission code for the Strategic level is required. A software architecture needed to be implemented at the Tactical level on-board Phoenix which can accommodate multi-processes, multi- languages, multiprocessors and control hard real time constraints existing at the Execution level. Phoenix also did not have a path replanning capability prior to this thesis. The approach taken is to provide Phoenix a user friendly interface for the autogeneration of human readable mission code and the creation and implementation of a Tactical level control architecture onboard Phoenix to include path replanning. The approach utilizes Rational Behavior Model (RBM) architectural design principles. This thesis focuses on the Officer of the Deck and replanning at the Tactical level, and refinement of the Captain at the Strategic level. While further testing is necessary, Phoenix is now capable of behaving as a truly autonomous vehicle. Results of this thesis show that nontechnical personnel can generate Prolog code to perform missions on-board Phoenix. Path replanning and obstacle avoidance software are also implemented. Most important this thesis demonstrates successful operation of all three levels of the RBM architecture on-board Phoenix.