Three-dimensional path following control of underactuated autonomous underwater vehicle based on damping backstepping

Xiao Liang,Jundong Zhang,Yuanhang Hou,Xingru Qu

doi:10.1177/1729881417724179

Abstract

This article addresses the problem of three-dimensional path following control for underactuated autonomous underwater vehicles in the presence of ocean current. Firstly, three-dimensional path following error model was established based on virtual guidance method. The control law is developed by building virtual velocity errors and backstepping method, which can simplify the virtual control input and avoid the singular problem induced by initial state constraints. Considering the curvature and torsion characteristics of the three-dimensional desired path, the approaching angle is introduced to guarantee fast convergence of error. Nonlinear damping term is introduced to offset the effects of dynamic uncertainties and external disturbances. The controller stability was proved by Lyapunov stable theory. Finally, simulations were conducted and the results indicate the effectiveness and robustness to parameter uncertainties and external disturbances of the proposed approach.

Highlights

Considering the effect of unknown modeling during autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) actual operations and current disturbances, we establish the 3-D path following error model based on virtual guidance method firstly, we design the control laws combined backstepping and damping methods according to the curvature and torsion characteristics of the desired path,[33] which make AUV follow the desired path from any position and guarantee that all state variables converge to the desired value
Considering the 3-D continuous differential bounded desired path and the 3-D path following error model, we investigate dynamic controllers using backstepping method and virtual guiding speed designed by Lyapunov stability theorem
This article considers the problems of 3-D path following for the underactuated AUV in the presence of current disturbances

Summary

Introduction

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are employed in a wide range of civilian and military applications, such as long-duration oceanographic sampling,[1,2] detection and localization of pollutant sources and undersea mines,[3,4] mine clearance,[5] region search for deep-sea wrecks, and so on.[6,7] To achieve those tasks, AUVs need the ability of accurate tracking control.[5,6] In order to reduce the vehicle’s weight and cost, save energy consumption, and improve system reliability, it is usually designed to be an underactuated AUV which can achieve the same control effects as a fully actuated AUV with less control inputs. Keywords Underactuated AUV, 3-D path following, backstepping, nonlinear damping, current disturbances Motivated by the above observation, this article investigates the path following control design for the underactuated AUV in the presence of ocean currents.

Results

Conclusion