Planning and correction of the AUV coverage path in real time

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) are used for the environmental monitoring, search and exploration works in different waters. In order to execute them, AUV must obtain the mission (coverage path) and be able to correct it if detects unforeseen obstacle. Planning such mission by hand is the difficult task for the operator, especially if AUV must maneuver among the islands and the twisting coastline. To solve this problem the mission editor must include the coverage algorithm, capable of automatic generating the coverage path. In this case it is necessary only to input the bounds of the water area and the distance between tacks. The paper formulates requirements to the coverage algorithm, subject to the specific features of the underwater acoustic search devices and the need for operating in real time. Using these requirements a number of coverage algorithms used in the ground or in the underwater robotics was analyzed. The algorithm, that can generate the complete coverage path, was developed in the result. It can be used both for planning in off-line mode, and for the path correction on board the AUV in real time (due to low computing cost).