Finite-Time Controller for Coordinated Navigation of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles in a Collaborative Manipulation...

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Control Systems
• Ocean Engineering

Background:

• Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) are crucial for inspection and maintenance in dynamic marine environments.
• Synchronous navigation of multiple UUVs presents significant challenges for coordinated tasks.
• Existing control methods often struggle with robustness and parameter dependency in complex conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel synchronous navigation scheme for multiple UUVs performing collaborative tasks.
• To develop a robust controller for coordinated multi-vehicle operations without vehicle-to-vehicle communication.
• To achieve finite-time convergence for UUVs in complex, dynamic environments.

Main Methods:

• A model-free, second-order sliding mode controller with user-defined finite-time convergence was developed.
• The controller was applied to a coordinated task involving two BlueROV2 underwater vehicles grasping, transporting, and releasing an object.
• Simulations were conducted to evaluate performance under high ocean currents and compared against state-of-the-art controllers.

Main Results:

• The proposed controller achieved user-defined finite-time convergence for both UUVs.
• The collaborative task was successfully completed without deviations, oscillations, or chattering.
• The controller demonstrated robustness against high ocean currents without parameter readjustment.

Conclusions:

• The developed controller offers a robust and efficient solution for synchronous navigation of multiple UUVs.
• The scheme eliminates the need for inter-vehicle communication, simplifying coordinated operations.
• This approach enhances the capability of UUVs for complex tasks in challenging marine environments.