INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS

Department of Engineering Design

ROBOTICS LABORATORY
OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE AND DYNAMIC PATH PLANNING OF
AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLE IN 3D SPACE

Research Objective
The main objective of the research is to develop control strategy and control algorithm for obstacle avoidance and dynamic
path planning of a flat-fish shaped underactuated AUV in 3D space by incorporating the vehicle speed variations, obstacle
size and obstacle speed in the control strategy.

Development of control strategy and control algorithm in 3D space

with dynamics of vehicle and obstacle
Development of integrated hardware-software simulator (HIL )
Simulation and study of the system with different operating
conditions and environmental disturbances
Experimental verification
Potential Field Method (PFM)

Fig.1. Coordinate frame assignment of

flat-fish AUV

Total
Potential

Attractive
Potential

Repulsive Potential

The 6 d.o.f non linear equation of motion of an

AUV:

Mv C( v ) v D( v ) v g( )
where,
M= inertia matrix (including added mass)
C(v)= matrix of coriolis and centripetal matrix
(including added mass)
D(v)= damping matrix
g ( ) = vector of control forces and moments
= vector of control inputs

v u, v , w , p, q, r
x , y , z , , ,

Fig. 2. Methodology of 2D obstacle avoidance algorithm

- Obstacle

- Obstacle

- Way point

- Way point

Fig.3. Flat fish AUV with circular obstacles of same size

with waypoints

Fig.4 Flat fish AUV with circular obstacles of

various sizes with waypoints

Researchers:
Researchers:
Mr. S.Saravanakumar, Dr. Asokan Thondiyath