Underwater robotics experienced in the latest years an increasing interest from research and industry. The aim of research in
this field is to progressively allow missions, like sea bottom and pipeline survey, cable maintenance, off-shore structures's
monitoring and maintenance, to be performed in a completely autonomous way. Kinematic control, dynamic control and
interaction control of underwater robotic systems have been object of our research. A software package for simulation of
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) systems have been developed and several experiments on an autonomous vehicle
(without manipulator) have been carried out. Moreover, a navigation system for real-time path planning and obstacle
avoidance of a real AUV has been devised.