The LSTS toolchain for networked vehicle systems

Abstract

This paper describes the open-source software toolchain developed by the Underwater Systems and Technology Laboratory (LSTS) for supporting networked heterogeneous air and ocean vehicle systems. The toolchain supports the deployment of air and ocean vehicles interacting over limited acoustic and wireless networks combined with disruption-tolerant networking protocols. We present the different components of the toolchain and how they can be deployed and extended for different scenarios. We conclude with descriptions of recent applications to onboard deliberative planning and integration of low-cost micro UAVs into the toolchain.