Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Robust Path Tracking: Auto-Adjustable Gain High Order Sliding Mode Controller

摘要

This paper deals with the design and implementation of a nonlinear control strategy to solve the path tracking problem for an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) under model uncertainties and external disturbances. First, the AUV model is transformed into the so-called regular form by an appropriate selection of state variables. The method is based on the second-order sliding mode technique known as Generalized Super-Twisting Algorithm (GSTA) introducing the design of an auto-adjustable gain controller which offers a way to ensure robustness to modeling errors and bounded external disturbances. The control law is designed to maintain a minimum margin of error in the trajectory tracking of the AUV even in the presence of damping and buoyancy disturbances. Finally, experimental results are also provided to illustrate the performances of the closed-loop system using the proposed controller.