SCOUT - a low cost autonomous surface platform for research in cooperative autonomy

In order to advance research efforts in the area of cooperative autonomy, a low cost autonomous surface craft, SCOUT (Surface Craft for Oceanographic and Undersea Testing) was developed by engineers at the MIT Department of Ocean Engineering. Design objectives include simplicity, robustness, versatility and improved operational utility. Four vehicles were fabricated during the summer of 2004 and a number of field experiments have been conducted using these craft. This paper discusses the design of the SCOUT vehicle and introduces some examples of the utility of this platform as a tool for improved software development, particularly in the area of cooperative autonomy.