Page 33: of Marine Technology Magazine (June 2015)

Researchers watch underwater footage taken by various AUVs exploring Australia’s Scott Reef.

A New System for Underwater Automation “Currently, the scientists will tell an engineer their science goals, priorities and additional constraints, such as when to Professor Brian Williams is the principal developer of a new examine different science areas, and what to avoid. The en- mission-planning system for AUVs, developed by MIT engi- gineer uses his or her knowledge of the vehicle, plus a map of neers in collaboration with Dr. Richard Camilli’s team at the the area to come up with a sequence of low-level commands Deep Submergence Lab at the Woods Hole Oceanographic In- (called a script) to tell the vehicle where to go, and what to do. stitute (WHOI). The new programming approach gives robots

Commands include ‘follow a straight line to a way point,’ ‘sur- more “cognitive” capabilities, enabling humans to specify face,’ and ‘establish a satellite link.’ For the new generation of high-level goals, while a robot performs high-level decision- small vehicles, like the Slocum glider, the same person might making to