This paper deals with an analysis of applicability, capabilities, benefits and pitfalls of using a virtual potential field approach to autonomously planning trajectories in non-communicating autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV-s). Virtual potentials represent an approach to this problem with cross-layer design features. Examples of different layers of control that can be achieved with the same fundamental approach are: obstacle-avoidance, energy-optimal trajectories, forming up with other moving agents, controlled formation fragmentation into well-posed sub-formation etc. This paper shows, on the basis of extensive simulated experiments, that such a trajectory planner based on virtual potentials, guarantees good extendibility, scalability and performance in a hard-real-time hardware-in-theloop system.

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