Scripting language for state configured layered control of the Tethys long range autonomous underwater vehicle

A scripting language for state configured layered control of a long range autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is introduced. The XML-based language has been designed to meet the complex requirements for long-term autonomous operation. It does not require that mission planners be programmers, yet allows them to have a high degree of certainty at deployment that the robot will do what they want it to do. The script is simple to execute on the vehicle, both to minimize CPU power usage and to minimize the chance of failure due to complexity. Users do not need a high-fidelity model of the AUV to plan a mission, as the robot may change in unexpected ways over the course of the mission. Those who wish to do more advanced programming of mission commands and behaviors can do so in the script and are not able to crash the vehicle's operating system. To address these needs, the “Tethys script” state-configured layered control language has been developed.