A Distributed Connectivity Maintenance Algorithm for a Network of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles Under Communication Constraints

This work presents a distributed connectivity maintenance algorithm for a multi-agent system consisting of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). The vehicles in the network communicate through a time-division multiple-access (TDMA) protocol, where only one vehicle can broadcast its information at any time instant. The TDMA protocol presents a significant challenge in developing a connectivity maintenance algorithm, as the vehicles do not have access to the present positions of their neighbors. We consider a homogeneous network of UUVs that move in a two-dimensional plane with bounded linear and angular speeds. The algorithm presented here uses only local information from an agent's neighbors and provides motion constraints, which, if satisfied, ensure the connectivity of the network. We provide mathematical guarantees of network connectivity for the presented algorithm under suitable assumptions on each vehicle's motion planner and controller. Finally, we present simulation results to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.