A New Concept for an Obstacle Avoidance System for the AUV "SLOCUM Glider" Operation under Ice

TL;DR

This paper introduces a control system concept for an autonomous underwater glider operating under ice, featuring a graph-based path planning algorithm for dynamic environments with moving obstacles.

Contribution

It proposes a novel obstacle avoidance system and a graph-based path planning algorithm tailored for autonomous underwater vehicles in complex, time-varying environments.

Findings

Development of a sensor and environment simulation interface

Design of a graph-based path planning algorithm

Initial results demonstrating obstacle avoidance capabilities

Abstract

This paper presents a concept for a control System for an autonomous underwater vehicle under ice using a "SLOCUM" underwater glider. The project concept, the separate working tasks for the next one-and-a-half years and the first results will be presented. In this context the structure of the obstacle avoidance system and a simulator structure with a sensor and environment simulation as well as the interfaces to the glider hardware will be discussed. As a first result of the main research, a graph-based algorithm for the path planning in a time-varying environment (variable ocean field, moving obstacles) will be described.