A robust adaptive control algorithm for remotely operated underwater vehicle

Abstract

A robust adaptive control algorithm is developed for a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that maneuvers underwater. The robotic vehicle uses a joystick to control horizontal motion, with embedded sensors for automatic control of certain degrees-of-freedom (DOFs). The system employs an adaptive controller with bound estimation to provide robustness to parametric uncertainties and external disturbances. The adaptive control law contains a switching σ modification to solve the problem of parameter drift. The performance of the proposed system is tested and verified against existing controllers through numerical simulation.