Experimental results of the cooperative operation of autonomous surface vehicles navigating in complex marine environment

Abstract Experimental results are presented of the cooperative operation of two maritime autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) executing a pre-defined task in a complex marine environment. The ASVs are equipped with algorithms for motion-planning, path-following and motion control, where the motion-planning algorithm is based in the angle-guidance fast marching square method, the path-planning module is based in the vector-field path-following method and the controller is a PID. The ASVs are two self-propelled models of 2.5 m and 3.2 m length instrumented with several sensors, actuators and communication unit, such as, inertial measurement units, Global positioning system, anemometers, accelerometers, inclinometers, DC motors and Wi-Fi communication. To monitor and command the ASVs, a real-time program was coded in LabVIEW 2018®. Finally, in order to validate the developed system, experimental tests were carried out in an open-door pool with low wind conditions, and from these experiments good capabilities of the system were found.