Leidos [LDOS] concluded 42 days of at-sea demonstrations of a prototype maritime autonomy system designed to control the maneuvering and mission function of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV), the company said on Wednesday.

The company used a 32-foot work boat as a surrogate vessel and installed autonomy sensors and software to mimic a configuration for an eventual full-size ACTUV prototype.

Simulation of the Leidos Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV). Image: Leidos.
Simulation of the Leidos Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV). Image: Leidos.

Leidos tested the ACTUV autonomy system for its ability to comply with a set of navigation rules published by the International Maritime Organization, known as the COLREGS (collision regulations). The rules determine right of way and how to avoid collisions when one vessel encounters another.

In one on-the-water test, the surrogate navigated narrow channels, avoiding navigation aids, and submerged hazards, the company noted in a statement. “The boat safely avoided surface ships it encountered along the route, satisfying COLREGS requirements in completely unscripted events.”

The at-sea testing included 101 separate scenarios. Throughout all of these, the surrogate boat stayed outside a 1-km standoff distance from interfering vessels.

The autonomy system was tested for COLGREGS compliance in about 26,000 simulations before the 42 days of at-sea demonstrations. The testing involved the ACTUV surrogate encountering an interfering vessel in several meeting, crossing, overtaking, and transit scenarios.

Throughout the testing period, the construction on the Sea Hunter ACTUV continued at the Christensen Shipyard in Clackamas, Oregon. It is scheduled to launch in late summer 2015 before testing begins in the Columbia River.