Periodic migration patterns can be found throughout the natural world. Examples of periodic movements have been observed in humans, terrestrial and aquatic animals, insects, even bacteria. Understanding such patterns can provide researchers with essential information to making decisions that affect environment, health, finances, and safety. Developing better tools for accurately measuring periodic movements is essential for developing more sophisticated movement models. This project focuses on the development of a mobile, multi-robot sensing system capable of monitoring individuals and populations that share common behaviors resulting in periodic movement patterns. The project uses multiple Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) for monitoring, tracking, and modeling fish populations in their coastal habitat. The specific goals of the project are to (1) develop mathematical models of a population's periodic migratory motion, (2) develop strategies based on these models for real-time estimation of the state of individual's and the population, (3) construct multi-robot control strategies for tracking populations, and (4) conduct continuous monitoring of fish populations using AUVs. To accomplish these goals, a multi-AUV system is deployed to autonomously track and follow acoustic tagged fish populations in Big Fisherman?s Cove in Catalina Island. This test site is a Marine Protected Area abundant with several species of fish that follow periodic migration patterns. Results from experiments are expected to validate the system and generate models that are useful to marine biologists and policy makers.
