A dynamically configurable architecture for the control of an autonomous underwater vehicle

This paper presents a tri-level hierarchic control architecture for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). This hierarchic structure is composed of three levels: organization, coordination and functional, structured according to the principle of increasing precision with decreasing intelligence. These levels are organized linguistically. The main contribution is the concept of dynamically configurable architecture where the notion of architecture coordinator plays a crucial role. This system dynamically configures the connections among modules of the functional layer and maintains the state of this configuration so that the most adequate translation of planned actions into execution commands takes place. These coordination features are also used to incorporate the emergence of reactive behaviors in this hierarchic architecture. The architecture structure has provisions to support multi-modal operator interfaces and for integration in complex operational systems governing the operation of multiple AUVs, divers and other sensors and actuators.