Nested autonomy for distributed ocean sensing

Abstract

Nested autonomy is a new control paradigm for distributed undersea surveillance, specifically designed for the layered communication infrastructure provided by the low-bandwidth underwater acoustic communication and the intermittent RF connectivity. Implemented using the open-source MOOS-IvP behavior-based, autonomous command and control architecture, it provides the fully integrated sensing, modeling, and controlling that allows each platform to autonomously detect, classify, localize, and track an episodic event in the ocean, without depending on any operator command and control. The prosecution of an event, such as the detection and tracking of a subsea volcanic plume or an oceanographic feature, may be initiated by the operators or entirely autonomously by an onboard detection capability. The event information collected by each node in the network is reported back to the operators by transmitting an event report, using a dedicated command and control language. Collaborative processing and control is exploited when the communication channel allows, for example, collaborative tracking of a coastal front, or the tracking of manmade sources or marine mammals.