US Patent 9443436 System for testing of autonomy in complex environments

A monitoring apparatus for deployment on an AUV may include navigation equipment operable independent of guidance and control equipment of the AUV and usable for determining AUV navigation information during deployment of the AUV, radio equipment operable independent of a radio module of the AUV and for providing a communication link to a ground station for communication with testing staff, and a watchdog module comprising processing circuitry configured to monitor at least the AUV navigation information relative to operational guidance to determine whether a constraint defined in the operational guidance is violated.