EUROPtus: A Mixed-Initiative Controller for Multi-vehicle Oceanographic Field Experiments

Our research concerns the mixed-initiative coordination of air and underwater vehicles interacting over inter-operated radio and underwater communication networks for novel oceanographic field studies. In such an environment, operating multiple vehicles to observe dynamic oceanographic events such as fronts, plumes, blooms and cetaceans has required that we design, implement and operate software, methods and processes which can support ephemeral and unpredictable observations (including those of moving animals) in real-world settings with substantial constraints. We articulate an approach for coordinated measurements using such platforms, which relate directly to task outcomes. We show the use and operational value of a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) based mixed-initiative system, EUROPtus, for handling multiple platforms from a recent field experiment in open waters of the mid-Atlantic.