Sensor-Based Control of A Class of Under-Actuated Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Abstract

For underwater vehicles to be self-sufficient in an a priori unknown and profile-varying environment, feedback from the environment through altitude sensors is essential. This paper presents two sensor-based control laws to pilot a class of under-actuated underwater vehicles taking into account sensory data from range-device exteroceptive sensors such as acoustic altitude ones. An LQ controller and a Lyapunov-oriented control design using recent results in non-linear control are compared for smooth profiles, and the problem of abrupt slope breaks is considered.