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AQUA Stack

The Complete Autonomy Platform for Underwater Vehicles

AQUA Stack is a production-ready software platform that enables autonomous navigation and control for underwater vehicles in GPS-denied environments.

Overview

Building autonomous underwater vehicles traditionally requires 18-24 months of sophisticated software development. AQUA Stack provides a ready-to-deploy solution that dramatically accelerates development time and reduces complexity.

graph LR
    A[Sensor Data] --> B[Visual SLAM]
    A --> C[Navigation System]
    B --> C
    C --> D[Behavior Trees]
    D --> E[Vehicle Control]
    E --> F[ArduSub]
    F --> G[BlueROV2/AUV]

    style B fill:#4CAF50
    style C fill:#2196F3
    style D fill:#FF9800

Key Features

🎯 Autonomous Navigation

  • 3D Waypoint Missions: Define complex underwater missions with 3D waypoints
  • Adaptive Path Following: Dynamic path adjustment based on environmental conditions
  • Behavior Tree Control: Hierarchical mission planning and execution
  • Dynamic Replanning: Real-time path updates based on obstacles and conditions

👁️ Visual Localization

  • Visual SLAM: Simultaneous localization and mapping in GPS-denied environments
  • Real-time Mapping: Build and update environmental maps on-the-fly
  • Loop Closure Detection: Correct accumulated drift for long missions
  • Multi-Sensor Fusion: Integrate visual, IMU, DVL, and depth sensors

🤖 Vehicle Integration

  • ArduSub Controller: Seamless integration with ArduSub autopilot
  • BlueROV2 Proven: Battle-tested on BlueROV2 platforms
  • Custom Vehicle Support: Adapt to any underwater vehicle
  • Simulation Included: Test missions before deployment

Use Cases

Scientific Research

  • Underwater surveys and mapping
  • Marine biology observation
  • Archaeological site documentation
  • Environmental monitoring

Industrial Inspection

  • Pipeline and infrastructure inspection
  • Offshore platform surveys
  • Dam and reservoir assessment
  • Ship hull inspection

Defense & Security

  • Harbor security patrols
  • Mine countermeasures
  • Underwater reconnaissance
  • Port infrastructure monitoring

Why AQUA Stack?

Traditional Approach AQUA Stack
18-24 month development Deploy in days
Custom SLAM implementation Production-ready visual SLAM
Manual integration Plug-and-play with ArduSub
Limited testing Pre-tested on real missions
Single vehicle focus Multi-vehicle ready

Quick Start

Get started with AQUA Stack in 3 easy steps:

  1. Install - Set up AQUA Stack on your vehicle computer
  2. Configure - Configure for your vehicle and sensors
  3. Deploy - Run your first autonomous mission

Architecture

AQUA Stack follows a modular architecture:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   Mission Planner                    │
│              (Waypoints, Behaviors)                  │
└───────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┘
                        │
┌───────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────┐
│              Navigation System                       │
│   ┌──────────────┐         ┌──────────────┐        │
│   │ Path Planner │◄────────┤ Visual SLAM  │        │
│   └──────────────┘         └──────────────┘        │
│           │                        │                │
│   ┌──────────────┐         ┌──────────────┐        │
│   │ Replanning   │         │ Loop Closure │        │
│   └──────────────┘         └──────────────┘        │
└───────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┘
                        │
┌───────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────┐
│              Vehicle Controller                      │
│        (Behavior Trees, State Machine)              │
└───────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┘
                        │
┌───────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────┐
│                  ArduSub Bridge                      │
│           (MAVLink Communication)                    │
└───────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┘
                        │
                 ┌──────┴──────┐
                 │   Vehicle   │
                 │  Hardware   │
                 └─────────────┘

Core Components

The navigation system handles autonomous path planning and execution:

  • Global Planner: Generates optimal paths between waypoints
  • Local Planner: Avoids obstacles in real-time
  • Path Tracker: Maintains vehicle on planned trajectory
  • Replanner: Adapts to changing conditions

Learn more about Navigation →

Visual SLAM

State-of-the-art visual SLAM provides accurate localization:

  • Front-end: Feature detection and tracking
  • Back-end: Pose graph optimization
  • Loop Closure: Drift correction
  • Mapping: 3D environmental reconstruction

Learn more about Visual SLAM →

Vehicle Integration

Seamless integration with vehicle hardware:

  • ArduSub Interface: Native MAVLink communication
  • Sensor Drivers: Camera, IMU, DVL, depth sensors
  • Safety Systems: Failsafe behaviors and emergency procedures
  • Telemetry: Real-time mission monitoring

Learn more about Integration →

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

  • Compute: Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB RAM) or equivalent
  • Camera: Stereo camera or monocular + depth sensor
  • IMU: 6-DOF or 9-DOF inertial measurement unit
  • Communication: MAVLink-compatible autopilot (ArduSub)
  • Compute: NVIDIA Jetson Nano or better
  • Camera: Stereo camera (e.g., Intel RealSense D435)
  • IMU: High-quality 9-DOF IMU
  • DVL (optional): Doppler Velocity Log for enhanced accuracy
  • Depth Sensor: Pressure-based depth measurement

View detailed requirements →

Getting Help

Documentation

Support

  • Email: support@signalbotics.com
  • Issues: Report bugs and request features
  • Community: Join discussions with other users

What's Next?

Features Roadmap

Current Release (v1.0)

  • ✓ Visual SLAM with loop closure
  • ✓ 3D waypoint navigation
  • ✓ Behavior tree control
  • ✓ ArduSub integration
  • ✓ BlueROV2 support
  • ✓ Simulation environment

Upcoming Features

  • 🚧 Multi-vehicle coordination
  • 🚧 Machine learning-based obstacle avoidance
  • 🚧 Advanced terrain following
  • 🚧 Cloud-based mission planning
  • 🚧 Enhanced data logging and replay

Ready to get started? Install AQUA Stack →