Fiscal Year	2017
Division	Research & Sponsored Programs
Department	Naval Research Program
Investigator(s)	Horner, Douglas P.
Sponsor	NPS Naval Research Program (Navy)
Summary	Precision control of underwater vehicles is complicated by the lack of accurate dynamic models, changing vehicle configurations (including mid-mission changes), and large environmental disturbances. Yet, close-proximity AUV operations are required for a variety of missions, including operations close to other objects (e.g., ships, submarines, divers, etc.), docking, and high-resolution underwater ISR missions. This study will investigate the use of advanced control techniques for the control of an agile, hover-capable AUV (ACQUAS) developed at NPS. This effort builds on the platform development effort, as well as ongoing and anticipated student research on detailed 3-D mapping of the operating environment, accurate terrain-relative navigation, and adaptive depth control of ACQUAS. Students will develop and implement planning and control concepts on the existing physical platform and test the approaches during frequent ocean-based experiments. Finally, students will be able to explore applications of precisely controlled agile platforms in support of a variety of Naval commands, including USW, NSW, EOD, and Salvage. In particular, this effort will, in conjunction with a complementary research effort on relative navigation, semi-autonomous control, and docking, culminate in a field demonstration where ACQUAS will be flown out of a SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV), perform an autonomous data gathering mission, and return to the SDV for autonomous docking.
Keywords	Agile AUV Hovering AUV Multi-Vehicle Operations Precision Controls
Publications	Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data	Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal