Underwater surveillance of Romanian littoral areas using AUVs - Sea trials results

Abstract

One of the many military as well as civilian potential applications regarding autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is detection, localization, tracking and identification (DLTI) of risk factors in littoral areas. Using AUVs in underwater surveillance involves some specific capabilities like underwater data acquisitions, on-board data processing, underwater and surface communication, autonomy aspects and so on. In order for an AUV to be capable of conducting underwater environment surveillance (detection, monitoring) in littoral areas like harbors, coast objectives, ship anchorage areas, mandatory pass points and also to provide warnings about the presence of underwater and surface dangers in the interest areas, it must be first subject to sea trials. This paper presents the theoretical and experimental approaches and results for the surveillance of Romanian Littoral Areas using an AUV.