• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.758-771
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• 2021

This paper presents a novel control scheme for the three-dimensional (3D) path following of underactuated Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUVs) subject to unknown internal and external disturbances, in term of the time scale decomposition method. As illustration, two-time scale motions are first artificially forced into the closed-loop control system, by appropriately selecting the control gain of the integrator. Using the singular perturbation theory, the integrator is considered as a fast dynamical control law that designed to shape the space configuration of fast variable. And then the stabilizing controller is designed in the reduced model independently, based on the time scale decomposition method, leading to a relatively simple control law. The stability of the resultant closed-loop system is demonstrated by constructing a composite Lyapunov function. Finally, simulation results are provided to prove the efficacy of the proposed controller for path following of underactuated AUVs under internal and external disturbances.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.817-832
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• 2015

This paper presents a state feedback based backstepping control algorithm to address the trajectory tracking problem of an underactuated Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) in the horizontal plane. A nonlinear three Degree of Freedom (DOF) underactuated dynamic model for USV is considered, and trajectory tracking controller that can track both curve trajectory and straight line trajectory with high accuracy is designed as the well known Persistent Exciting (PE) conditions of yaw velocity is completely relaxed in our study. The proposed controller has further been enriched by incorporating an integral action additionally for enhancing the steady state performance and control precision of the USV trajectory tracking control system. Global stability of the overall system is proved by Lyapunov theory and Barbalat's Lemma, and then simulation experiments are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the controller designed.

• International Journal of Fuzzy Logic and Intelligent Systems
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.154-163
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• 2013

In this paper, we propose a formation control algorithm for underactuated autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) with parametric uncertainties using the approach angle. The approach angle is used to solve the underactuated problem for AUVs, and the leader-follower strategy is used for the formation control. The proposed controller considers the nonzero off-diagonal terms of the mass matrix of the AUV model and the associated parametric uncertainties. Using the state transformation, the mass matrix, which has nonzero off-diagonal terms, is transformed into a diagonal matrix to simplify designing the control. To deal with the parametric uncertainties of the AUV model, a self-recurrent wavelet neural network is used. The proposed formation controller is designed based on the dynamic surface control technique. Some simulation results are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed control method.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.1197-1204
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• 2008

This paper presents an asymptotic formation control scheme for a group of underactuated autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) where only three control inputs - surge force, yaw moment and pitch moment are available for each vehicle's six degree of freedom (DOF) underwater motion. Usually, the dynamics agents applied in most of the formation algorithms presented so far have been modeled as particle systems, which is a simple double-integrator system. Therefore, these algorithms cannot be directly applicable to the practical systems, especially to the underwater vehicles whose dynamics are highly nonlinear. Moreover, the vehicles considered in this paper are underactuated. The formation control is derived using general potential function method, and the corresponding potential function consists of two parts: interactions between vehicles and virtual-leader following. Proposed formation scheme guarantees asymptotic local stability of closed-loop system. Numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the effectiveness of proposed formation scheme.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.225-231
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• 2012

In this paper, we propose a method for designing the path tracking controller using an approach angle concept for an underactuated autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). The AUV is controlled by the surge speed and yaw rate: there is no side thruster. To solve this underactuated AUV problem in the path tracking, we introduce an approach angle concept which makes the AUV converge to the reference path. And we design the path tracking controller using the proposed approach angle. To design the path tracking controller, we obtain the new vehicle's error dynamics in the body-fixed frame, and then design the path tracking controller based on Lypunov direct method. Finally, some simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.61-70
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• 2009

An AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) is an unmanned underwater vessel to investigate sea environments and deep sea resource. To be completely autonomous, AUV must have the ability to home and dock to the launcher. In this paper, we consider a class of homing trajectory planning problem for an AUV with kinematic and tactical constraints in horizontal plane. Since the AUV under consideration has underactuated characteristics, trajectory for this kind of AUV must be designed considering the underactuated characteristics. Otherwise, the AUV cannot follow the trajectory. Proposed homing trajectory panning method that called VGM (Virtual Goal Method) based on visibility graph takes the underactated characteristics into consideration. And it guarantees shortest collision free trajectory. For tracking control, we propose a PD controller by simple guidance law. Finally, we validate the trajectory planning algorithm and tracking controller by numerical simulation and ocean engineering basin experiment in KORDI.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.146-155
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• 2009

This paper considers the path tracking problem in a horizontal plane for underactuated (or non-holonomic) autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Underwater mapping has been an important mission for AUVs. Recently, underwater docking has also become a main research field of AUVs. These kinds of missions basically require accurate attitude and trajectory control performance. However, the non-holonomic problem should be solved to achieve accurate path tracking for the torpedo-type of AUVs. In this paper, resolved motion and acceleration control (RMAC) is considered as a path tracking controller for an underactuated torpedo-shaped AUV, ISiMi. A set of numerical simulations is carried out to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed RMAC scheme, and experimental data with ISiMi100 and discussions are presented.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.282-293
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• 2018

This paper attempts to address the motion parameter skip problem associated with three-dimensional trajectory tracking of an underactuated Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) using backstepping-based control, due to the unsmoothness of tracking trajectory. Through kinematics concepts, a three-dimensional dynamic velocity regulation controller is derived. This controller makes use of the surge and angular velocity errors with bio-inspired models and backstepping techniques. It overcomes the frequently occurring problem of parameter skip at inflection point existing in backstepping tracking control method and increases system robustness. Moreover, the proposed method can effectively avoid the singularity problem in backstepping control of virtual velocity error. The control system is proved to be uniformly ultimately bounded using Lyapunov stability theory. Simulation results illustrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the developed controller, which can realize accurate three-dimensional trajectory tracking for an underactuated AUV with constant external disturbances.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.832-842
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• 2020

The coordination control of multiple Underactuated Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) moving in three dimensional space is investigated in this paper. The coordinated path following control task is decomposed into two sub tasks, that is, path following control and coordination control. In the spatial curve path following control task, path following error dynamics is build in the Serret-Frenet coordinate frame. The virtual reference object can be chosen freely on the desired spatial path. Considering the speed of the UUV, the line-of-sight navigation is introduced to help the path following errors quickly converge to zero. In the coordination control sub task, the communication topology of multiple UUVs is described by the graph theory. The speed of each UUV is adjusted to achieve the coordination. The path following system and the coordination control system are viewed as the feedback connection system. Input-to-state stable of the coordinated path following system can be proved by small gain theorem. The simulation experiments can further demonstrate the good performance of the control method.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.951-957
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• 2015

This Paper considers the heading and depth control problem for an underactuated AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) HW200. The HW200 is a torpedo-type AUV that is developed from Hanwha corporation R&D Center for military operation such as MCM (Mine Counter Measures). The HW200 controls horizontal and vertical motion with two stern plane and two rudder plane. It is well known that fine control of an AUV motion is not easy because of model uncertainties, highly nonlinear and coupled motions. To overcome those kind of uncertainties, a number of control methods have been presented. In this paper, the motion controllers of the HW200 are designed using PD controller design method based on the linear and perturbed model of the typical 6-DOF equations of an AUV, and confirmed the effectiveness of the controller through simulations and field test.