Autonomous undersea systems network (AUSNET) development status update

The standardization of network protocols and interfaces promises to enhance significantly the capabilities of autonomous undersea vehicles (AUVs) as they become more commonplace and are deployed in teams. A range of AUV systems is currently emerging, each with different strengths and attributes, and the ability for these to be deployed cooperatively requires the establishment of standard interoperability protocols. The paper provides an overview of an ongoing effort called AUSNET (autonomous undersea systems network). AUSNET addresses the requirements imposed by the need for self-forming ad-hoc networks that can operate in the low-bandwidth undersea environment. The AUSNET effort is focused on the creation of a TCP/UDP-like network capability, which is based on dynamic source routing (DSR). The effort includes the implementation of an application program interface (API) between the network drivers and the autonomous undersea applications using those drivers. The goal is to create a robust and efficient set of standard protocols and specifications that can be adopted by the AUV community to enable rapidly achievable and cost effective interoperability.