A robust depth and speed control system for a low-speed undersea vehicle

Aspects of low-speed unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) dynamics are described, including features relevant to depth and speed control. A robust multivariable approach to the control of UUV depth and speed is described. The design approach, μ-synthesis, allows the designer to treat the fundamental issues of stability, performance requirements, and model variation within a single unified framework. The μ-synthesis control design framework is outlined, and then is successfully applied to the multivariable depth and speed control task for a generic UUV. An essential element of this method is the use of a detailed control design model; performance requirements and uncertainty descriptions are directly imbedded in this model. The proposed control synthesis process is shown to provide design insights which are directly useful for existing conventional UUV control approaches