Synthetic aperture sonar development for autonomous underwater vehicles

The combination of synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) technologies is producing underwater acoustic imaging systems of tremendous capability and versatility. Under the sponsorship of the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City (NSWC-PC) and Applied Research Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University (ARL/PSU) are designing and fabricating 21-inch and 12.75-inch diameter AUV compatible Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) systems. These systems are to be integrated and tested with 21-inch and 12.75-inch diameter AUVs built by Bluefin Robotics and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). This paper provides an overview of the systems and their developmental status. Included is a general description of the motion estimation and compensation technique currently in use and of its potential use for improving the navigational performance of the system. In addition, considerations for cooperative operations between AUV systems are discussed. Examples are given to demonstrate the various points presented