Drift angle compensation-based adaptive line-of-sight path following for autonomous underwater vehicle

摘要

The aim of this study is to solve the problem of poor tracking in autonomous underwater vehicle (AUVs) that are operating based on traditional line-of-sight (LOS) method when tracking different paths in a complex marine environment. An adaptive-LOS (ALOS) guidance law with drift angle compensation is proposed, and is employed to calculate the AUV's desired course (direction of velocity) and heading. First, an appropriate look-ahead distance is derived by the ALOS guidance law in consideration of the predefined path curvature, real-time tracking error and speed of the AUV. Subsequently, proper compensation is provided with respect to the actual drift angle. Compared with traditional LOS operation, this method flexibly adjusts to a suitable look-ahead distance while considering many related factors, providing a better path following performance. Both simulation and experimental results are presented to validate the effectiveness of this method.