The AUV follows the cable route at constant speed while ocean current pushes it
sideways, requiring continuous thruster correction. Its sensor cone continuously
scans a radius ahead; when a fault enters range it stops and repairs it before
continuing.
pos += (followVel + currentDrift) * dt
if dist(rov, fault) < sensorRange and !repaired:
stop, repairTimer -= dt
if repairTimer <= 0: fault.repaired = true
health = repairedFaults / totalFaults * 100
- ROV speed — forward transit speed along the cable route.
- Sensor range — how far ahead the ROV's sonar/camera can detect a fault before reaching it.
- Ocean current — steady sideways drift the ROV's thrusters must fight to stay on the cable line.
- Repair time — how long the ROV must dwell at a fault to complete the splice/repair.
This mirrors real subsea cable maintenance: autonomous or remotely operated vehicles
follow buried trans-oceanic cables for hundreds of kilometres, detecting breaks from
fishing gear, anchors or seismic activity and either flagging or directly repairing
them.