Maneuvering and Submerged Control System for a Modular Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

Abstract

An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is considered a vehicle that can be submerged and autonomously operate underwater, fitted with various systems that include the electrical power supply system, propulsion system, tanks system, maneuvering and submerged control system. All these systems are controlled by an integrated built-in computer system. AUVs, as in the case of submarines, need control surfaces and the associated control systems for maneuvering while being underwater or on the surface. In the current study, rudder blades and hydroplanes made from carbon fiber were designed and installed suitably at stern and forward positions of the AUV. Arduino Mega board (AMB) module and its open technology are used to design the main automation circuit and written source codes for the maneuvering and submerged controlled system. The advantages of the AMB are its flexibility for the simulation using fritzing to test the performance of the system through computerisation of the control system and programmable to meet specified requirements as well as easy in interfacing the software and the hardware.