This paper introduces a novel simulation framework for evaluating motion control in tethered multi-robot systems within dynamic marine environments. Specifically, it focuses on the coordinated operation of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) and an Autonomous Surface Vehicle(ASV). The framework leverages GazeboSim, enhanced with realistic marine environment plugins and ArduPilots SoftwareIn-The-Loop (SITL) mode, to provide a high-fidelity simulation platform. A detailed tether model, combining catenary equations and physical simulation, is integrated to accurately represent the dynamic interactions between the vehicles and the environment. This setup facilitates the development and testing of advanced control strategies under realistic conditions, demonstrating the frameworks capability to analyze complex tether interactions and their impact on system performance.
@article{arxiv.2508.02264,
title = {Tethered Multi-Robot Systems in Marine Environments},
author = {Markus Buchholz and Ignacio Carlucho and Michele Grimaldi and Yvan R. Petillot},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2508.02264},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
The research paper has been submitted and accepted for the AQ2UASIM Workshop during ICRA 2025 in the USA