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How Heterogeneous Groups of AUVs Can Reduce Human Interaction
The Remora concept, developed by the Groupe d'Etudes Sous-Marines de l'Atlantique (GESMA) and presented in this article, is not a design study of the future French mine hunting system. The concept only aims to explore original solutions and advanced technologies to evaluate their advantages, drawbacks and capability enhancements.
So far, the Remora concept has been very successful in studying robot/human interaction in mine warfare and data-quality assurance issues. Increasingly, furtive threats have led to improvements in sonar detection and classification, yet mine warfare concepts of operation have not changed much in the last 20 years. Today's operations may be even more time consuming as sonar resolution improves (increasing the number of false alarms). The introduction of autonomous unmanned vehicles (AUVs) in navies could deeply impact traditional ways of handling mine countermeasures (MCM).
During the first stage of this evolution, AUVs will take part in traditional MCM operations with no real change in concepts of operations. They will be used in order to reduce risk and cost, while enhancing some operational capabilities. The next step will require reducing human/robot interaction at a lower level, thus implying a change of practice. In order for this to happen, this disruptive step will require breaking psychological barriers and improving human confidence in AUVs. More than platform reliability, confidence in data is the real issue, especially if the data are processed on-board in order to deliver synthesized information. Data quality assurance will be one of the most important requirements for future robotics systems.
AUV Design and Requirements
Generally, the requirements for mine warfare AUVs lead to two different designs. One design provides long endurance and, therefore, large vehicles with high-value sonar, navigation systems, obstacle avoidance systems and additional environmental sensors. This kind of AUV is designed for detection and classification of mines in large areas and for long covert transit.
The other type of design consists of small and cheap vehicles (eventually expendable) dedicated to short identification or neutralization operations near the seafloor, with a low level of autonomy and navigational accuracy.
The first step of mine warfare is conducted at long distances by the large AUV, while the small one is deployed near the support vessel. A common alternative...