US Navy, Brigham Young University Team Up to Test Algorithms for UUV Cooperative Localization

Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division has partnered with Brigham Young University to test proposed algorithms designed to enable unmanned underwater vehicle fleets to use bathymetry data for cooperative localization.

The collaboration, formed through the Naval Engineering Education Consortium program, works on the project named NEEC: Active & Cooperative Terrain Aided Navigation Using Inverted-Ultra-short Baseline.

The project involves the development of low-cost UUVs based on NSWC PCD’s Disposable Reusable Expeditionary Warfare Underwater Vehicle and algorithm trials in which the vessels will operate in coordination with the university’s Iver3 UUVs, Navy .mil reported.

BYU’s Field Robotic Systems Lab focuses on developing marine robotic system solutions for cooperative localization, sonar-based mapping and localization, autonomous unmanned surface vessel operation in dynamic littoral zones and simulation for marine autonomy development.

Joshua Mangelson, BYU electrical and computer engineering assistant professor and the FRoST Lab head, said the project builds upon the university’s expertise in localization and provides opportunities for students to participate in addressing Navy-relevant research problems.