Multi-AUV Control Method Based on Inverse Optimal Control of Integrated Obstacle Avoidance Algorithm

Under complex underwater conditions, multiple AUVs work in one area and they need to cooperate for complicated missions. In this study, a design method was applied for multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that are distributed in an area and suddenly receive a command. Using this method, the AUVs work according to their own state and reach the target while avoiding obstacles automatically in the process of collection. A new optimal control method is proposed that achieves the consensus of multiple AUVs as well as offering obstacle avoidance capability with minimal control effort. A non-quadratic obstacle avoidance cost function was constructed from the perspective of inverse optimal control. The distributed analytic optimal control law depends only on the local information that can be generated by the communication topology, which guarantees the proposed behavior, so that the control law does not require information from all AUVs. A simulation and an experiment were performed to verify the consensus and obstacle avoidance effect.

Automated summary

In this study, a design method is proposed for multiple AUVs that are distributed in an underwater area to work according to their own state and automatically avoid obstacles in order to reach the target. An optimal control method is introduced to achieve consensus among the AUVs and provide obstacle avoidance capability with minimal control effort. The distributed analytic optimal control law relies on local information generated by communication topology, ensuring the proposed behavior without requiring information from all AUVs. Simulation and experimentation were conducted to verify the consensus and obstacle avoidance effect.