An extensible networking architecture for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

In this paper we present a loosely-coupled software architecture, designed to abstract the particularities of the different network interfaces usually found in Autonomous Underwater Vehicles and communication gateways. Our architecture was implemented as part of a broader on-board software framework utilized in several autonomous systems. It improves on previous efforts, by having a simpler and more extensible design, reduced data overheads, and incorporating delay-tolerant networking concepts. An overall description of the supported network interfaces and systems is also given.