Autonomous underwater vehicle for 150m depth-development phases and hurdles faced

Abstract

This paper describes the various development phases and the associated hurdles faced during the design, fabrication, sub-system level testing, assembly, integration and overall system testing of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). This AUV has been designed for a depth of 150 m with multi-thruster actuation for shallow water applications. The AUV is having onboard power, electronics and advanced control module, navigation and payload sensors and modular software architecture. During the development of AUV various hurdles like how to power on AUV from outside, loose connections, isolation and grounding, water leakage, battery tripping, etc. have been faced and resolved. The present paper describes the complete development aspects in brief and highlights the various hurdles with remedies throughout the development. The AUV has been tested successfully for various missions at Idukki Lake, Cochin, India up-to a depth of 5m. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.