Cooperative localization for master–salve multi-AUVs based on range measurements

Abstract

Underwater localization has consistently remained a prominent technical challenge for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The advent of cooperative localization techniques has emerged as a novel avenue for enhancing localization accuracy. The master–slave cooperative localization mode has gained widespread adoption due to its cost-effectiveness in implementation. In view of the complexity of underwater noise characteristics, in the multi-AUVs cooperative localization system, this paper addresses scenarios involving distance-dependent noise in a master–slave-based multi-AUVs cooperative localization system. To tackle the negative impact of distance-dependent noise and the non-linearity of the distance function, a two-step algorithm is proposed that combines maximum likelihood estimation and the Gaussian belief propagation algorithm (ML-GBP) to estimate the positions of AUVs. The maximum likelihood estimation is employed to cope with the interference caused by distance-dependent noise, and subsequently, the Gaussian belief propagation algorithm, based on range observations and reference information, is used to achieve accurate estimation of AUV positions and implement position correction. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed ML-GBP algorithm outperforms traditional extended Kalman filter (EKF) and nonparametric belief propagation (NBP) methods by enhancing the localization accuracy of the system while exhibiting superior performance in terms of computational complexity and system communication overhead.