Control automation in undersea manipulation systems

The requirements for the successful use of automated manipulation in an undersea environment are discussed, and initial specifications for systems which share control between a human operator and an autonomous control element are established. Areas of concern include: (1) objectives of automation; (2) characteristics of the underwater task; (3) hierarchy of control algorithms; (4) man/machine interface; (5) sensory feedback; and (6) general system organization. Special emphasis is placed on the solutions to the problem of controlling an undersea manipulator which is capable of performing certain automatic functions and implementing these solutions using current technology. Current capabilities for control automation are summarized.