Maritime Unmanned Systems

With the rapid development of robotics and communication technologies, maritime unmanned systems (MUSs) have emerged as a critical research domain due to their unprecedented capabilities in oceanographic data collection, environmental monitoring, and marine ecosystem studies. Specifically, MUSs refer to interoperable robotic systems operating synergistically in aerial, surface and underwater environments. At present, MUSs exhibit the characteristics of diversified sensing resources, decentralized architectures, and systematic coordination, making the detection-communication-control crucial for efficient operations and multi-mission adaptability. However, the traditional research predominantly adopts separate design approaches for detection, communication and control in MUSs. The separate design creates dual constraints: the detection-communication interactions lack effective feedback mechanisms while the control commands become vulnerable to information incompleteness. To address the above issue, it is urgent to co-design the detection, communication and control for MUSs. This research direction has profound strategic significance and long-term value for the future development and application of marine technology.

This book is devoted to present the cutting-edge results on the integrated design of detection, communication, and control for MUSs. It first elaborates on the basic concepts of detection, communication and control in maritime environment. After that, it presents several integrated design solutions for the detection, communication, and control in MUSs, including detection-communication integration, detection-control integration, communication-control integration, and detection-communication-control integration. Finally, this book concludes with practical applications of these integrated design methodologies in modern port monitoring systems, demonstrating their effectiveness in real-world maritime scenarios.

The book provides actionable insights of developing next-generation MUSs for the researchers, engineers, and practitioners in maritime robotics, autonomous systems, and networked control. A background in control theory, signal processing, or wireless communication is recommended to fully grasp the advanced techniques. Whether you're advancing academic research or optimizing industrial systems, this book equips you with cutting-edge tools to push the boundaries of maritime autonomy.