Hardware and software development for the navigation, guidance, and control system of a remotely operated vehicle

This paper addresses the development of hardware and software systems needed for the operation of a Class-II remotely operated vehicle, by using a systems engineering approach. The concept design included using Quality Function Deployment in order to translate stakeholders' needs into engineering characteristics. Then, the functional division of the ROV system was performed, allowing the designers to develop the electronics functional architecture. Solutions for all functions in the electronics system were integrated into a comprehensive hardware architecture that fulfills the user's requirements. Finally, a software application for the navigation, guidance, and control of the ROV was designed based on the actor model. Verification of some components was performed and showed the functionality of the developed systems. High modularity and low coupling of the resulting solutions enables a multidisciplinary teamwork to integrate efforts seamlessly and efficiently during the development of the ROV.