A Bio-Inspired Neurodynamics Based backstepping Path-following Control of an AUV with Ocean Current

A bio-inspired neurodynamics based path-following controller of underactuated autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) in the presence of ocean current is proposed. A kind of bio-inspired neurodynamics model and the backstepping path-following controller are combined in this paper. The bio-inspired neurodynamics model is applied to generate smooth forward and angular velocities, so that the sharp speed jumps and the thrusters control constraints problem which are commonly seen in the backstepping path-following control of AUV are overcome by the proposed controller. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed control strategy are demonstrated through simulations and comparison studies.