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Section: MB-System 5.0 (l)
Updated: 27 October 2008
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NAME
mbm_route2mission - Macro to convert an mbgrdviz route file into an MBARI AUV mission script.VERSION
Version 5.0SYNOPSIS
mbm_route2mission -Iroutefile [-Aaltitudemin/altitudeabort[/altitudedepthcom] -Bbehavior -Cmissiontime -Ddepthmax/depthabort/depthdescent -Fforwarddistance -Ggpsmode -Jdepthprofilefile -Lapproachdepth -M[sonarlist] -N -Omissionfile -P[startlon/startlat | startdistance] -Rtransmitpower/receivegain[/rangeminfraction] -Sspeed -Tstarttime -Wwaypointspacing -V -H]DESCRIPTION
mbm_route2mission - Macro to convert an mbgrdviz route file into an MBARI AUV mission script.MBARI Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, or AUVs, are controlled using a layered behavior system that is specified using a mission script. This macro generates an MBARI AUV mission script from an MB-System route file such as those generated interactively using MBgrdviz. The output MBARI AUV mission script is named using a ".cfg" suffix. A Winfrog waypoint file (ending in ".pts") is also output which mirrors the waypoints in the input route file.
The output AUV mission script includes safety behaviors that operate throughout a mission (e.g. missionTimer sets a mission timeout duration, and depthEnvelope sets depth and altitude limits). The script also includes the sequential behaviors required to take a vehicle from the start of a mission at the surface, obtaining the initial position from GPS, descent to depth, flying to the starting waypoint, running the desired survey lines with a desired depth or altitude profile, ascent to the surface, and reacquiring positioning from GPS. For seafloor mapping surveys, sonar settings and data logging are also controlled through the mission script.
The input route file specifies a survey mission as a set of sequential waypoints, and also includes the depth profile between those waypoints. Waypoints may be ordinary, the start of a survey line, or the end of a survey line (the start and end line waypoints are generated using the survey route planning feature of MBgrdviz). The spacing of the depth profile points between the waypoints derives from the bathymetric grid used to generate the route.
The output mission specifies a larger number of waypoints than the input route file. The mission waypoints are generated every waypointspacing meters (specified with the -W option), and the AUV is commanded to fly at particular depths (or depth profiles) between each waypoint. By default, the AUV will be flown using a control behavior called WaypointDepth in which the commanded vehicle depth follows a linearly interpolated profile between the depth at the starting waypoint and the depth at the ending waypoint. The simpler alternative waypoint behavior specifies a single vehicle depth while flying to the next mission; as it begins each segment the vehicle will ascend or descend sharply to the desired depth and then fly level until the next waypoint is reached.
The -A and -D options allows the user to set the basic vehicle depth and altitude controls. The vehicle's vertical position will be simulatneously controlled in terms of both altitude above the bottom and depth below the sea surface. The commanded depth between each waypoint is calculated by mbm_route2mission (using the bathymetry profiles in the input route file) to produce a vehicle altitude that is aaltitudedepthcom meters above the shallowest depth looking forwarddistance meters ahead. The forward looking feature allows the vehicle to be commanded to ascend prior to reaching large scarps. As the mission commences, the AUV attempts to fly at the commanded depth unless that would result in an altitude less than altitudemin meters. In that circumstance, the vehicle flies in an altitude-following mode. Thus, for consistent bottom-following, a common approach is to set altitudemin to the desired altitude and to set altitudedepthcom to a value slightly smaller than altitudemin. This strategy allows the look-ahead feature to bring the vehicle safely over steep rises while otherwise maintaining a constant altitude.
The -G option allows the user to specify that the vehicle ascend to the surface and reset positioning with GPS at the beginning and/or end of survey lines.
The -N option allows the user to specify that the vehicle first move to the initial survey waypoint, and then follow a spiral descent to the desired survey depth. The -Lapproachdepth option sets the vehicle depth as it approaches the first waypoint before the spiral descent. These options are used for deepwater missions in which the vehicle navigation is updated by acoustic modem during the free inertial descents.
The mission script must also allow sufficient time for the vehicle to transit from its starting point to the first waypoint in the survey mission. The -T and -P options allow the user specify the AUV starting position, the distance to the first waypoint, or the time required to reach the first waypoint.
The MBARI Mapping AUV is equipped with a 200 kHz multibeam sonar, a 2-16 kHz chirp subbottom profiler, a 110 kHz chirp sidescan, and a 410 kHz chirp sidescan. The -M option is used to enable these mapping sonars in the AUV mission script.
AUTHORSHIP
David W. Caress (caress@mbari.org)
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Dale N. Chayes (dale@ldeo.columbia.edu)
Lamont-Doherty Earth ObservatoryOPTIONS
Last Updated: 27 October 2008