MARS: A simulation environment for marine robotics

Abstract

In this paper, we present a simulation environment for marine robotics called MARS. MARS is a Hardware-in-the-Loop online simulation environment for multiple AUVs and USVs. Through the usage of the 3D-Engine jMonkeyEngine, sophisticated underwater graphics are possible. Several actuators and sensors enable complete integration tests in various scenarios. A special focus is set on the sonar which uses a ray-based approach. Water currents together with waves, computation of the center of buoyancy, and volume calculation enable a realistic physical behavior under and on the water surface. Finally, direct feedback from the real marine robots at our institute assists in the evaluation of MARS.