ASV

The ASV is a autonomous watersurface vehicle, which can independently perform missions. One future aproach is the cooperation with AVALON. Using different sensors, the vehicle can create a depth-map of an unknown aquatic environment. To doing so, it independently plans a route, to cover the whole surface of the environment. While driving on the planed route, the ASV collects depth-information using the  scanning sonar. In the following the depth-informations are used to create a map of the environment. Besides the scanning-sonar, a GPS-reciever and an inertial meassurement unit are used, to estimate the postion of the vehicle and to navigate safely in the environment. Likewise emergency-behaviors have been implemented, by which the ASV is capable to react on a low batterystatus and return to a settled maintenance point.

If necessary a remote-controll can be used, to take over the control of the vehicle and to prevent collisions with other vehicles, using the help of the mounted waterproof camera. To archive this, a stable and powerfull emergency-control is implemented on the microcontroller-level.

In the future the ASV should operate as an support-vehicle during missions of the AUV AVALON and be the mediator between AVALON and the human controlteam. On this occasion the ASV tracks the motion of AVALON, using the installed camera, and follows the the AUV. Using a underwater-modem, which is installed in both of the vehicle, a direct communication between both can be ensured. Thus it is possible, that  the AUV AVALON can use the depth-map, created by the ASV, for localication and navigate savetly in unknown underwater environments.