Abstract Many universities have lab exercises in the controls classes which consist of modeling and simulations for vehicles and robotics due to the costs associated with real vehicles, robotics or the test environments. Unmanned surface vehicles such as a Sea Fox can be modeled and simulated in Matlab or a similar software. Multiple vehicle paths can be coordinated to facilitate search patterns or to setup adhoc wireless sensor networks (WSNs) with the vehicles each possessing a node. At Texas A&M University-Kingsville an assignment for coordinated unmanned surface vehicle (USV) control and path planning has been developed. The work builds upon previous labs detailing the USV model and path planning using potential fields. The USVs are simulated in coordinated movements and in a coordinated search pattern. The system of USV systems is simulated in Matlab. This exercise introduces students to biomimetics and artificial intelligence methods such as models for flocking behavior or swarm intelligence. The group of vehicles’ coordinated paths and control can be augmented utilizing data from a WSN to ensure a more efficient path. The efficacy of the assignment is demonstrated through student engagement in the exercise. ; Comment: 6 pages