AJA method and AJA Canvas as a Design Tool for marine Autonomous Operations with a test case scenario: the detection, inspection and tracking of a waste-water plume

Abstract

Autonomous marine operations are difficult to plan, design and perform. Additionally, the complexity of these operations is increasing as they often include more than one vehicle. The AJA (Autonomous Job Analysis) method is a structured approach to gathering the necessary information from experts in order to plan and design an autonomous marine operation and document these facts to make the scope of the operation understood by all stakeholders. This paper presents additional methods that enhance AJA. First, the AJA canvas: a visual tool for organising the information obtained by AJA in a concise way. Secondly, a structured format for writing measurable requirements extracted from the AJA process to help in the design of the operation. Lastly, the tools are demonstrated on a test case scenario where several vehicles will collaborate in order to detect and map a plume of contaminated water from a wastewater facility outlet.