Review of Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (AUV) Developments 
AUTONOMOUS UNDERSEA SYSTEMS INSTITUTE (AUSI) [40,41 ,42,43] 
The Marine Systems Engineering Lab (MSEL) began at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) 
in 1976. MSEL personnel and facilities moved to the Marine Science Center of Northeastern 
University located in Nahant, Massachusetts in July 1993. In January 1996, the laboratory 
moved back to New Hampshire to continue its research activities as part of the Autonomous 
Undersea Systems Institute (AUSI). 
AUSI has been funded mainly through grants from the ONR and the NSF. AUSI also provides 
its facilities and expertise to support research programs at other institutions. AUSI continues to 
organize and conduct International Symposia on Unmanned Untethered Submersible 
Technology. 
AUSI, along with the Institute for Marine Technology Problems | 
(IMTP) in Vladivostok, Russia, are investigating the characteristics 
and limitations of using solar energy as an energy source for a long- 
endurance AUV (figure 27). The prototype testbed is being used to 
evaluate the results of a number of analyses related to the solar- 
powered AUV. The ultimate objective is to develop a solar-powered | 
AUV system for the marine community with endurance in excess of | 
one year. 
Cooperative Distributed Problem Solving for Controlling Semi- fas = 
Autonomous and Autonomous Oceanographic Sampling Networks Figure 27. Recovery of 
(AOSNs). Successful deployment of AOSN systems will rely on Solar Powered AUV 
coordinated, flexible, and adaptive behavior among the system's 
various participants. The Cooperative Behaviors project 
investigates such coordinated behavior. This project's goal is the development of protocols and 
mechanisms for intelligently planning and controlling AOSNs. 
Cooperative Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Development Concept (CADCON). The AOSN 
concept is broad and far reaching. AOSN developers must deal with a huge list of intertwining 
issues. The technical problems associated with the design and development of such a complex 
system are many and varied; as a result, AUSI developed ideas relative to the sort of 
development environment that would better enable AOSN work. These ideas were formalized 
as the Cooperative AUV Development Concept (CADCON). 
Development of Basic Autonomous Vehicle Behaviors. AUSI is developing and testing a 
prototypical set of behaviors which will provide a functionally robust mobile underwater vehicle. 
Initial research findings show that complex and robust behavior can arise from fairly simple 
heterogeneous neural networks. In short, this body of researchers has engendered a new 
branch in artificial intelligence/robotics that focuses on a bottom-up approach to the issue of 
autonomous agent behavior. 
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