NemeSys: Toward Online Underwater Exploration with Remote Operator-in-the-loop Adaptive Autonomy

TL;DR

NemeSys is an innovative underwater vehicle system enabling real-time, low-latency mission reconfiguration using magnetoelectric signaling, validated through simulations and real-world tests for adaptive marine exploration.

Contribution

The paper introduces NemeSys, a novel AUV system supporting online mission reconfiguration with low-bandwidth communication and rapid behavior switching, advancing adaptive underwater autonomy.

Findings

Behavior switching latency below 50 ms

Peak computational overhead of 13.2 MB

Validated through simulations and real-world trials

Abstract

Adaptive mission control and dynamic parameter reconfiguration are essential for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) operating in GPS-denied, communication-limited marine environments. However, AUV platforms generally execute static, pre-programmed missions or rely on tethered connections and high-latency acoustic channels for mid-mission updates, significantly limiting their adaptability and responsiveness. In this paper, we introduce NemeSys, a novel AUV system designed to support real-time mission reconfiguration through compact magnetoelectric (ME) signaling. We present the full system design, control architecture, and a mission encoding framework that enables interactive exploration and task adaptation via low-bandwidth communication. The proposed system is validated through analytical modeling, controlled simulation tests, and real-world trials. The mid-mission retasking scenarios, evaluated using the NemeSys digital twin, demonstrate behavior switching latency below 50 ms with only a 13.2 MB peak computational overhead, making the framework suitable for deployment on edge computing hardware. Laboratory tank tests and open-water field trials further confirm stable control and reliable mission execution in dynamic underwater environments. These results establish the feasibility of online mission reconfiguration and highlight NemeSys as a promising step toward responsive, goal-driven adaptive underwater autonomy.