Tether Management System for Autonomous Inspection Missions in Mariculture Using an ASV and an ROV

Cooperation of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) in prolonged robotic inspections missions in mariculture requires a tether management system (TMS) with a docking system mounted onto the ASV. The autonomous surface developed in the scope of HEKTOR (Heterogeneous Autonomous Robotic System in Viticulture and Mariculture) project is shortly presented. Furthermore, mechanical and electrical design of the TMS, the control scheme and communication protocol of the TMS with the ASV, and TMS-ROS interface for future high-level mission control are described. Laboratory pool and at-sea field trials of the TMS show that the chosen concept works in various settings. Copyright (C) 2022 The Authors.