Low-cost Multi-agent Fleet for Acoustic Cooperative Localization Research

TL;DR

This paper introduces CoUGARs, a low-cost, customizable underwater robot platform designed for multi-agent acoustic localization research, combining affordability, flexibility, and real-world testing capabilities.

Contribution

The work presents a cost-effective, configurable AUV platform with integrated acoustic localization tools, enabling accessible multi-agent underwater research and testing.

Findings

Successfully tested in simulation and field trials

Cost less than $3,000 USD per unit

Supports various sensor configurations

Abstract

Real-world underwater testing for multi-agent autonomy presents substantial financial and engineering challenges. In this work, we introduce the Configurable Underwater Group of Autonomous Robots (CoUGARs) as a low-cost, configurable autonomous-underwater-vehicle (AUV) platform for multi-agent autonomy research. The base design costs less than $3,000 USD (as of May 2025) and is based on commercially-available and 3D-printed parts, enabling quick customization for various sensor payloads and configurations. Our current expanded model is equipped with a doppler velocity log (DVL) and ultra-short-baseline (USBL) acoustic array/transducer to support research on acoustic-based cooperative localization. State estimation, navigation, and acoustic communications software has been developed and deployed using a containerized software stack and is tightly integrated with the HoloOcean simulator. The system was tested both in simulation and via in-situ field trials in Utah lakes and reservoirs.