Implementation of a distributed Control System for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle with VARIVEC Propeller

This paper presents the development of a control architecture for the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) with VARIVEC (variable vector) propeller. Moreover this paper also describes the new technique of controlling the servomotors using the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The AUVs are being currently used fur various work assignments. For the daily measuring task, conventional AUV are too large and too heavy. A small AUV will be necessary for efficient exploration and investigation of a wide range of a sea. AUVs are in the phase of research and development at present and there are still many problems to be solved such as power resources and underwater data transmission. Further, another important task is to make them smaller and lighter for excellent maneuverability and low power. Our goal is to develop a compact and light AUV having the intelligent capabilities. We employed the VARIVEC propeller system utilizing the radio control helicopter elements, which are swash plate and DC servomotors. The VARIVEC propeller can generate six components including thrust, lateral force and moment by changing periodically the blade angle of the propeller during one revolution. It is possible to reduce the number of propellers, mechanism and hence power sources. Our control tests were carried out in an anechoic tank which suppress the reflecting effects of the wall surface. We tested the developed AUV with required performance. Experimental results indicate the effectiveness of our approach. Control of VARIVEC propeller was realized without any difficulty.