Simulation and Coordination of Autonomous Bio-Inspired Underwater Agents

This paper presents the preliminary results of the MAXFISH project, which aims to develop an integrated methodological and technological framework for modeling, simulating, and controlling coordinated bio-inspired robotic fish shoals. The system combines a Digital Twin platform, implemented in MATLAB/Simulink, with a max-plus algebraic model to address multi-agent coordination for underwater survey and monitoring missions. The Digital Twin enables the estimation of travel times based on the kinematic and dynamic behavior of the robotic fish, while the max-plus framework allows formal scheduling analysis of cyclic exploration tasks, ensuring mutual exclusion on shared resources and respecting mission constraints. A Graphical User Interface further supports mission planning, enabling users to define points of interest and automatically compute overall mission times. The novelty of this approach lies in the integration of max-plus algebra techniques with simulation tools for underwater inspections. The proposed framework also supports Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) and Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) testing, facilitating the validation of coordination strategies with real robotic agents and communication buoys. Simulation results on a representative mission scenario confirmed the feasibility of the framework. The platform produced consistent mission completion times and demonstrated effective coordination under diverse task configurations, validating the integration of max-plus algebra with the Digital Twin.