Path Planning for Multiple USV Collecting Seabed-based Data Based on UWA Communication

Seabed-based observation networks (SBONs) provide continuous and efficient monitoring of seafloor conditions. However, collecting data of SBONs is labor-intensive and resource-intensive. In this paper, we built a mathematical model and propose a two-stage path planning algorithm that combines underwater acoustic (UWA) communication using multiple unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to collect data from SBONs. In the first stage, an immune algorithm is innovatively improved to obtain the optimal SBONs access order for each USV in combination with the cost of obstacle avoidance paths between nodes. In the second stage, the proposed estimation solution method (ESM) and dynamic window method are used to solve the proposed constrained optimization problem based on the energy transmission range of UWA communication and obstacle avoidance problem. Experiments show that the proposed algorithm can solve the problem of collecting SBONs data by multiple USVs and can achieve better performance in terms of path length, workloads between USVs and time compared with other methods.