Autonomous
341
Part B | 14
14. Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Navigation
John J. Leonard, Alexander Bahr
This chapter surveys the problem of navigation for
autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Navigation is critical for the safety and effectiveness of
AUV missions. The unavailability of global positioning system (GPS) underwater makes AUV navigation
a challenging research problem. Recent years have
seen considerable improvements in performance
and reduction in the cost and size of the various sensor devices available for ocean vehicle
navigation. In concert with these developments,
advances in algorithms such as simultaneous
localization and mapping, and cooperative navigation have enabled dramatic improvements in
the navigation capabilities of AUVs. These improvements in AUV navigation have contributed to the
successful deployment of AUVs for a wide variety
of applications over the past decade.
14.1 Sensors ............................................... 343
14.1.1 Depth....................................... 343
14.1.2 Compass ................................... 343
14.1.3 Gyroscopes ............................... 343
14.1.4 Attitude Heading
Reference Systems ..................... 344
14.1.5 Inertial Navigation Systems ........ 344
14.1.6 GPS .......................................... 344
14.1.7 Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) .......... 344
14.1.8 Acoustic Ranging Methods ......... 345
14.2 Algorithms .......................................... 346
14.2.1 Dead-Reckoning
and Inertial Navigation.............. 346
14.2.2 Acoustic Navigation ................... 347
14.2.3 Geophysical Map-Based
Navigation ................................ 349
14.2.4 Simultaneous Localization
and Mapping ............................ 350
14.2.5 Cooperative Navigation
of Multiple Vehicles ................... 351
14.3 Summary ............................................ 352
14.3.1 Glider with Very Low Power
Sensor Suite.............................. 352
14.3.2 Low-Cost AUV Sensor Suite ......... 352
14.3.3 Standard AUV Sensor Suite.......... 353
14.3.4 High-End AUV ........................... 353
14.3.5 Special-Task AUV Using
Visual SLAM ............................... 353
14.4 Conclusion........................................... 353
References................................................... 354
This chapter surveys the problem of navigation for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). We review the
major types of sensors available for underwater navigation, and then describe some of the key techniques
employed, including long baseline (LBL) navigation
and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)
algorithms. Subsequently, we describe several example navigation systems utilized in recent AUV systems.
Figure 14.1 shows some examples of the wide range of
AUVs that are in use today. The selection of appropriate navigation sensors and algorithms, based on cost,
power, size, and mission constraints, is a key element
of AUV system design [14.1].
Navigation is an important requirement for any type
of mobile robot, but this is especially true for AUVs.
Good navigation information is essential not only for
the safe operation and recovery of the AUV, but also for
the data gathered by an AUV to be of value. For many
types of AUV missions, such as seabed mapping and
mine countermeasures, the quality of the data acquired
by the vehicle depends critically on the accuracy of the
vehicle’s navigation system. Cost can be a major factor in AUV navigation system design. This is especially
true for applications that involve the coordinated operation of multiple vehicles.
The absence of global positioning system (GPS)
measurements underwater makes AUV navigation
a difficult challenge. Without an external reference in
the form of acoustic beacons at known positions, the vehicle has to rely on proprioceptive information obtained
through a compass, a Doppler velocity logger (DVL)
and/or an inertial navigation system (INS) to perform
dead reckoning (DR). Independent of the quality of the
sensors used, the error in the position estimate based on
341
Part B | 14
14. Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Navigation
John J. Leonard, Alexander Bahr
This chapter surveys the problem of navigation for
autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Navigation is critical for the safety and effectiveness of
AUV missions. The unavailability of global positioning system (GPS) underwater makes AUV navigation
a challenging research problem. Recent years have
seen considerable improvements in performance
and reduction in the cost and size of the various sensor devices available for ocean vehicle
navigation. In concert with these developments,
advances in algorithms such as simultaneous
localization and mapping, and cooperative navigation have enabled dramatic improvements in
the navigation capabilities of AUVs. These improvements in AUV navigation have contributed to the
successful deployment of AUVs for a wide variety
of applications over the past decade.
14.1 Sensors ............................................... 343
14.1.1 Depth....................................... 343
14.1.2 Compass ................................... 343
14.1.3 Gyroscopes ............................... 343
14.1.4 Attitude Heading
Reference Systems ..................... 344
14.1.5 Inertial Navigation Systems ........ 344
14.1.6 GPS .......................................... 344
14.1.7 Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) .......... 344
14.1.8 Acoustic Ranging Methods ......... 345
14.2 Algorithms .......................................... 346
14.2.1 Dead-Reckoning
and Inertial Navigation.............. 346
14.2.2 Acoustic Navigation ................... 347
14.2.3 Geophysical Map-Based
Navigation ................................ 349
14.2.4 Simultaneous Localization
and Mapping ............................ 350
14.2.5 Cooperative Navigation
of Multiple Vehicles ................... 351
14.3 Summary ............................................ 352
14.3.1 Glider with Very Low Power
Sensor Suite.............................. 352
14.3.2 Low-Cost AUV Sensor Suite ......... 352
14.3.3 Standard AUV Sensor Suite.......... 353
14.3.4 High-End AUV ........................... 353
14.3.5 Special-Task AUV Using
Visual SLAM ............................... 353
14.4 Conclusion........................................... 353
References................................................... 354
This chapter surveys the problem of navigation for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). We review the
major types of sensors available for underwater navigation, and then describe some of the key techniques
employed, including long baseline (LBL) navigation
and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)
algorithms. Subsequently, we describe several example navigation systems utilized in recent AUV systems.
Figure 14.1 shows some examples of the wide range of
AUVs that are in use today. The selection of appropriate navigation sensors and algorithms, based on cost,
power, size, and mission constraints, is a key element
of AUV system design [14.1].
Navigation is an important requirement for any type
of mobile robot, but this is especially true for AUVs.
Good navigation information is essential not only for
the safe operation and recovery of the AUV, but also for
the data gathered by an AUV to be of value. For many
types of AUV missions, such as seabed mapping and
mine countermeasures, the quality of the data acquired
by the vehicle depends critically on the accuracy of the
vehicle’s navigation system. Cost can be a major factor in AUV navigation system design. This is especially
true for applications that involve the coordinated operation of multiple vehicles.
The absence of global positioning system (GPS)
measurements underwater makes AUV navigation
a difficult challenge. Without an external reference in
the form of acoustic beacons at known positions, the vehicle has to rely on proprioceptive information obtained
through a compass, a Doppler velocity logger (DVL)
and/or an inertial navigation system (INS) to perform
dead reckoning (DR). Independent of the quality of the
sensors used, the error in the position estimate based on