Spatial path-following control for underactuated AUVs with parameter perturbation

Abstract

This paper investigates the problem of spatial path following control of underactuated autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) with parameter perturbation. The path-following guidance law is established by using line of sight (LOS) and the “virtual vehicle” method. The surge velocity controller, steering controller and diving controller, which can realize path -following with parameter perturbation, are designed by the integral sliding mode control (ISMC) method and fixed-time nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode control (NFTSMC). It is proven that the proposed ISMC and NFTSMC scheme can guarantee that the error signals globally converge to the origin in finite time and in fixed time, respectively. This simulation results show that the spatial straight line path following mission can efficiently be achieved, and there is strong robustness to the parameter perturbation.