Underwater Environment SDAP Method Using Multi Single-Beam Sonars

A new autopilot system for unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) using multi-single-beam sonars is proposed for environmental exploration. The proposed autopilot system is known as simultaneous detection and patrolling (SDAP), which addresses two fundamental challenges: autonomous guidance and control. Autonomous guidance, autonomous path planning, and target tracking are based on the desired reference path which is reconstructed from the sonar data collected from the environmental contour with the predefined safety distance. The reference path is first estimated by using a support vector clustering inertia method and then refined by Bézier curves in order to satisfy the inertia property of the UUV. Differential geometry feedback linearization method is used to guide the vehicle entering into the predefined path while finite predictive stable inversion control algorithm is employed for autonomous target approaching. The experimental results from sea trials have demonstrated that the proposed system can provide satisfactory performance implying its great potential for future underwater exploration tasks.