Abstract
The concept of underwater docking stations has long been proposed to support the long term deployment of AUVs, but the number of successful solutions is still very disappointing. Hovering type AUVs can navigate arbitrarily slow, simplifying the docking maneuver and the requirements for the receiving structure. This paper describes a docking system that was developed to extend the mission duration of the MARES AUV, a man portable hovering type AUV. Given the wide range of operational scenarios and configurations of this AUV, one of the design requirements was to have a simple modular structure, that could easily be reconfigured to support different vehicle configurations, deployment scenarios and docking maneuvers. The paper provides details of the mechanical aspects, the onboard electronic subsystems, and the general operational procedure, as well as preliminary data from the first trials. © 2017 IEEE.

Abstract
In this paper, we investigate the creation of an underwater acoustic network to support marine operations based on static and mobile nodes. Each underwater device combines communication, networking, and sensing capabilities and cooperates with the other devices in coordinated missions. The proposed system is built upon the SUNSET framework, providing acoustic communications and networking capabilities to autonomous underwater vehicles, autonomous surface vessels, and moored systems, using underwater acoustic modems. Specific solutions have been developed and tested to control the underwater nodes acoustically and to instruct the vehicles on keeping a given formation using acoustic links. One of the novelties of our approach has been the development and utilization of a realistic simulation infrastructure to provide a very accurate representation of all the dynamic systems involved in the network, modeling the vehicle dynamics, the acoustic channel, and the communication messages. This infrastructure has been extensively used to investigate and validate the proposed solutions under different environmental conditions before the actual deployment of devices. Several experiments were then conducted in the laboratory and in the field. The experimental results have confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed solutions and the reliability of the proposed simulation framework in estimating system performance.

Abstract
This paper addresses the problem of optimal, three-dimensional, localization of an acoustic pinger. Making use of acoustic receivers, the time-of-arrivals are computed and fused with their positions to estimate the target position. Motivated by practical applications where autonomous surface vehicles are employed to carry sensing equipment, these receivers are constrained to lie in a plane. The optimal configuration of sensors is derived by maximizing the determinant of the Fisher information matrix. A method to track and estimate the position of the target is proposed and implemented in a formation of four vehicles. Experimental results show very motivating results with successful estimates of the target position.

Abstract
This paper describes the results of AcousticRobot'13 - a noise measurement campaign that took place off the Portuguese Coast in May 2013, using two high endurance autonomous vehicles capable of silent operation (an underwater glider and an autonmomous sailing vessel) equipped with hydrophones, and a moored hydrophone that served as reference. We show that the autonomous vehicles used can provide useful measurements of underwater noise, and describe the main advantages and shortcomings that became evident during the campaign.

Abstract
The design of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) is governed by a complex tradeoff between mission performance and required payload sensors, and taking into account possible constraints in fabrication, assembly and operational logistics. On a commercial level, the technology is relatively mature, with several companies offering off-the-shelf AUV solutions in a wide range of sizes and performance levels, for a wide variety of operational scenarios. However, to ensure proper performance in specific applications, such broad-range systems require factory customization, with the consequent impact in time and cost. This paper describes a program for the development of underwater vehicles based on modular building blocks. In this case, modularity encompasses both physical parts and also software and control systems. These modules can be rearranged, replaced or individually redesigned to yield a great variety of AUV configurations in a relatively short time. The paper describes the development of MARES, a small hovering AUV, and also TriMARES, a custom 3-body hybrid AUV/ROV, built from the same modules in little over 6 months.

Abstract
The MARES is a small, torpedo-shaped AUV 1.5 meters long and 32 kilograms in weight in the basic version. In a typical configuration, a PC/104 computational system manages the entire mission, including communications with other devices and a control station. Navigation is provided by the fusion of data from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and an acoustic system for long baseline localization (LBL), complemented by a small GPS receiver, when the vehicle is at the surface. Four thrusters provide the capability to move as fast as 5 knots and to hover in the water column, with a set of lithium-ion batteries ensuring 10 hours of operation. MARES is a highly modular vehicle, with the ability to integrate a great variety of payload sensors, and it has been operating since 2007, mainly in environmental- monitoring missions. The capability of vehicles to follow a given trajectory and maintain reliable data exchange is among the most relevant topics when it comes to coordination of marine robots.