This work focuses on the automatic generation of control inputs for the thrusters of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, given a path to follow in six dimensions. The control strategy applied is model-driven and designed in a open-loop fashion, as most AUVs do not have reliable localization systems. This approach can be also extended in a closed-loop control scheme to improve robustness.
The inputs generating framework is designed using differential geometric control theory, which provides a singularity free description of the vehicle model. This approach has been tested in simulations, using both a fully actuated vehicle model and an underactuated one. The latter configuration could be the result of a thrusters failure, which the differential geometric approach is able to overcome. Experimental trials have been carried out in a controlled environment using a fully actuated vehicle.