The Intelligent Control System and Experiments for an Unmanned Wave Glider

• Published in: PloS one 2016-12, Vol.11 (12), p.e0168792-e0168792
• Main Authors: Liao, Yulei, Wang, Leifeng, Li, Yiming, Li, Ye, Jiang, Quanquan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access control; Aircraft - instrumentation; Algorithms; Artificial Intelligence; Autonomous underwater vehicles; Biology and Life Sciences; Cerebrum; Computer and Information Sciences; Computer Simulation; Control algorithms; Control systems; Control systems design; Controllers; Disturbance; Earth Sciences; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Embedded systems; Engineering and Technology; Environmental monitoring; Equipment Design; Feasibility studies; Guidance (motion); Humans; Intelligence; Kalman filters; Laboratories; Management; Marine environment; Marine environments; Mathematical models; Models, Theoretical; Monitoring systems; Motion control; Ocean engineering; Parameter identification; Physical Sciences; Reliability; Remote Sensing Technology - instrumentation; Robotics; Science; Sea trials; Seawater; Simulation; Social Sciences; Software; Trajectory planning; Unmanned aerial vehicles; Vehicles
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168792

The control system designing of Unmanned Wave Glider (UWG) is challenging since the control system is weak maneuvering, large time-lag and large disturbance, which is difficult to establish accurate mathematical model. Meanwhile, to complete marine environment monitoring in long time scale and large spatial scale autonomously, UWG asks high requirements of intelligence and reliability. This paper focuses on the "Ocean Rambler" UWG. First, the intelligent control system architecture is designed based on the cerebrum basic function combination zone theory and hierarchic control method. The hardware and software designing of the embedded motion control system are mainly discussed. A motion control system based on rational behavior model of four layers is proposed. Then, combining with the line-of sight method(LOS), a self-adapting PID guidance law is proposed to compensate the steady state error in path following of UWG caused by marine environment disturbance especially current. Based on S-surface control method, an improved S-surface heading controller is proposed to solve the heading control problem of the weak maneuvering carrier under large disturbance. Finally, the simulation experiments were carried out and the UWG completed autonomous path following and marine environment monitoring in sea trials. The simulation experiments and sea trial results prove that the proposed intelligent control system, guidance law, controller have favorable control performance, and the feasibility and reliability of the designed intelligent control system of UWG are verified.