Autonomous mapping with an AUV: an approach for ground truthing of remote sensing data

Satellites and other Earth observation systems (EOSs) can image large portions of the ocean surface at one time. However, they cannot ascertain much about the underlying structure, nor can they perform in situ analysis. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have the capability to perform such analyses and to explore the full structure of the water column, but their speed and energy limitations suggest that careful mission planning on the part of the operators is needed to effectively utilize their capabilities. By combining these two platforms, the amount of useful information gathered by the AUV is greatly increased, thereby increasing the total value of the combined EOS/AUV dataset. This paper discusses the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two systems and methods of combining them. The authors show in simulation that an AUV directed by an a priori dataset can gather more detailed information about an object of interest per unit of time than one which is not so directed