DGPS aided INS navigation for AUV

The inertial navigation system (INS) that is used to determine the position, velocity and/or acceleration of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) deteriorates with time. In order to reduce the error caused by the INS deterioration an external aiding source can be employed. The differential global positioning system (DGPS) is one of the external aiding sources that can be used to reduce the error caused by the INS. Precise location of an AUV is a must when it comes to clearing sea mines or mapping the sea floor. In this paper we discuss how the DGPS can be incorporated with the INS in order to improve the positioning accuracy of AUV.