Design and analysis of an underwater quadrotor - AQUAD

Abstract

A new configuration of underwater robotic vehicle, named AQUAD, is presented here. It is a configuration with four thrusters in a plane which is inspired from an aerial quadrotor system. The system is designed considering the hydrodynamic challenges, and mathematically modelled using Newton-Euler approach. A PID controller is used to control the attitude of the system and implemented with the model to analyze its behavior. The system is commanded with various inputs and the performance of the model with the controller is studied. A prototype of AQUAD is being developed and the system is to be tested in real time.