ACOUSTIC MOTION ESTIMATION AND CONTROL FOR AN UNMANNED UNDERWATER VEHICLE IN A STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT

The problem of identification and navigation, guidance and control in unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) is addressed in this paper. A task -function-based guidance system and an acoustic motion estimation modu le have been integrated with a conventional UUV autopilot within a two -layered hierarchical architecture for closed-loop control. Basic tech niques to estimate the robot dynamics using the sensors mounted on the vehicle have been investigated. The proposed identification technique s and navigation, guidance and control (NGC) system have been tested o n Roby2, a UUV developed at the Istituto Automazione Navale of the Ita lian C.N.R. The experimental set-up, as well as the modalities and res ults, are discussed. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All r ights reserved.