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Updated: Sep 6, 2025

Quantitatively Measuring In situ Flows using a Self-Contained Underwater Velocimetry Apparatus SCUVA
Published on: October 31, 2011
A virtual velocity-based integrated navigation method for strapdown inertial navigation system and Doppler velocity
Zixuan Wang1, Xixiang Liu1, Xiaoqiang Wu1
1School of Instrument Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) can improve navigation accuracy by integrating strapdown inertial navigation systems (SINS) and Doppler velocity logs (DVL) with a novel virtual velocity method. This approach effectively addresses challenges posed by unknown ocean currents, enhancing positioning precision.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Navigation Systems
- Oceanography
Background:
- Strapdown inertial navigation systems (SINS) and Doppler velocity logs (DVL) are standard for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) navigation.
- DVLs struggle to measure ground velocity at greater depths, impacting accuracy in mid-ocean layers.
- Integrating DVL velocity relative to current introduces errors due to unmeasured current velocities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the impact of unknown current velocities on navigation filter observability.
- To propose an enhanced navigation method for AUVs that mitigates current-induced errors.
- To improve the positioning accuracy of AUVs in oceanic environments.
Main Methods:
- Developed an integrated SINS/DVL/virtual velocity navigation approach.
- Constructed a virtual velocity using SINS and DVL data.
- Utilized virtual velocity as an aided measurement in a Kalman filter to decouple current velocity.
Main Results:
- The proposed virtual velocity method effectively decouples unknown current velocities from SINS velocity errors.
- Simulations and experiments show improved convergence speed and accuracy of velocity error.
- Significant enhancement in overall AUV positioning accuracy was demonstrated.
Conclusions:
- The SINS/DVL/virtual velocity integration offers a robust solution for AUV navigation in the presence of ocean currents.
- This method enhances the reliability and precision of AUV positioning, especially in deep-water scenarios.
- The virtual velocity concept provides a valuable tool for improving integrated navigation system performance.
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