Autopilot System for Depth and Pitch Control in Underwater Vehicles: Navigating Near-Surface Waves and Disturbances

Abstract: This paper introduces a framework for depth and pitch control of underwater vehicles in near-surface wave conditions. By effectively managing tail, sail plane angles and hover tank operations utilizing a Linear Quadratic Regulator controller and L1 Adaptive Autopilot augmentation, the system ensures balanced control input distribution and significantly attenuates wave disturbances. This development in underwater vehicle control systems offers potential for improved functionality across a range of marine applications. The proposed framework is demonstrated to be robust in a variety of wave conditions, enabling more precise navigation and improved safety in operational scenarios. The effectiveness of this control strategy is validated through extensive simulations using the Joubert BB2 model.