This paper presents a reactive/local level of an Obstacle Avoidance System for an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). The specific requirements of the underwater world, the computational capacity and the sensors of the vehicle as well as its manoeuvrability were considered by the choice and the development of strategies used. Such requirements include the sea current information, the considera...

This paper reports the development of a new remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) designed to serve as a platform for rapid development and deployment of novel underwater vehicle systems. The goal is to enhance our ability develop new underwater vehicle subsystems in the laboratory, and rapidly field-test these new systems. Although a significant fraction of ONR and NSF sponsored underwate...

A key component of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is the navigation system. It is important for navigating the vehicle but it is also vital for being able to utilize the data collected during a mission. This paper presents the main challenges faced when designing reliable underwater navigation systems, and outlines a framework for detecting and isolating sensor faults using a bank of Ka...

Hydrodynamic coefficients are the foundation of unmanned underwater vehicles modeling and controller design. In order to reduce identification complexity and acquire necessary hydrodynamic coefficients for controllers design, the motion of the unmanned underwater vehicle was separated into vertical motion and horizontal motion models. Hydrodynamic coefficients were regarded as mapping parameter...

Significant advances in various relevant science and engineering disciplines have propelled the development of more advanced, yet reliable and practical underwater vehicles. A great array of vehicle types and applications has been produced along with a wide range of innovative approaches for enhancing the performance of unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). These recent advances enable the extensi...

This paper reports the development and field testing of DVLNAV, an interactive program for precision three-dimensional navigation of underwater vehicles. The goal of this system is to provide vehicle position and velocity navigation data with both the precision and update rate necessary to enable closed-loop vehicle control. We report the results of preliminary field trials of DVLNAV with the J...

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) speed and position control systems are subjected to an increased focus with respect to performance and safety due to their increased number of commercial and military application as well as research challenges in past decades, including underwater resources exploration, oceanographic mapping, undersea wreckage salvage, cable laying, geographical survey, coas...

The Searazor is a novel underwater vehicle designed for underwater inspection and maintenance of ships and underwater structures. In this paper, the vehicle’s dynamic characteristics and control scheme are studied. A series of sub-models, representing the major components of the vehicle, are developed in a bond graph environment. A servo control system that governs the attitude and steering is ...

This paper address the kinematic variables control problem for the low-speed manoeuvring of a low cost and underactuated underwater vehicle. Control of underwater vehicles is not simple, mainly due to the non-linear and coupled character of system equations, the lack of a precise model of vehicle dynamics and parameters, as well as the appearance of internal and external perturbations. The prop...