On the Design of a Robust Controller for Underwater Robotic Vehicles

With the increased utilization of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) in subsea applications, the development of autonomous vehicles becomes highly desirable to enchance operator efficiency. However, ROVs present a difficult control problem due to their nonlinear dynamic behavior and poorly known hydrodynamic coefficients. This paper describes an adaptive controller for the minimum tracking variance control of ROVs. The robustness of the control system with respect to the nonlinear dynamic behavior at parameter uncertainties is investigated by computer simulation. Preliminary results of this study show that the use of the proposed adaptive control system is very attractive in controlling ROVs in the presence of uncertainties in the dynamics of the vehicle.