Servo controlled rapid MCM target reacquisition using REMUS-100

We present a “rapid reacquire” solution for mine countermeasures (MCM) using Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs). The Rapid Reacquire system performs an initial search in the vicinity of a previously detected mine-like object (MLO) using low resolution side scan automatic target recognition (ATR). When a positive identification is made, the system breaks off the search to perform a high resolution survey. The high resolution sensor we have onboard is a forward look sonar, although the system was designed to allow other sensors to be used. The sonar images are analyzed and updated target positions are then sent via network packets from the analysis process to the vehicle control process which uses them to navigate, keeping the target centered in the sensor field of view. We completed and tested a first phase of the work, and have been developing improvements to be tested in our second phase. We present the results of the completed first phase and our ongoing second phase here.