Modular USV and payload design for advanced capabilities in marine security applications

This article describes the collaborative effort between NURC and CNR-ISSIA to increase the functional autonomy of Unmanned Surface Vehicles. The assets used for this demonstration were the CNR-ISSIA Charlie catamaran-type USV with its autonomy software, and NURC's payload module consisting of a sonar, pan-tilt unit, and the control software for both. The goal was to interface the two separate autonomy modules in order to maneuver the USV relative to an interesting target (demonstrated with a bottom target). Charlie's mission is to carry the payload while performing various behaviors to survey an area of interest. Whenever an interesting potential target is seen in the view of the forward looking sonar, the payload control software takes over control from Charlie's main vehicle computer, interrupts its pre-programmed behavior, and sends the necessary messages so the USV adapts its track based on the target location. The demonstration took place in Murter, Croatia during the 2010 Breaking the Surface Symposium.