Integrated Localization and Path Planning for an Ocean Exploring Team of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles with Consensus Graph Model Predictive Control

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel localization-aware, energy-efficient path planning method for a team of autonomous underwater vehicles coordinated by a surface vessel, utilizing consensus graph model predictive control to enhance deep ocean exploration.

Contribution

It develops a systematic, MPC-based approach integrating localization into collision-free path planning for USV-AUV teams, addressing communication and localization challenges in deep waters.

Findings

Effective consensus graph optimization for AUV localization.

Successful simulation validation of the proposed method.

Analysis of nonconvex NP-hard problem complexity.

Abstract

Navigation of a team of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) coordinated by an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) is efficient and reliable for deep ocean exploration. AUVs depart from and return to the USV after collaborative navigation, data collection, and ocean exploration missions. Efficient path planning and accurate localization are essential, the latter of which is critical due to the lack of global localization signals and poor radio frequency (RF) communication in deep waters. Inertial navigation and acoustic communication are common solutions for localization. However, the former is subject to odometry drifts, and the latter is limited to short distances. This paper proposes a systematic approach for localization-aware energy-efficient collision-free path planning for a USV-AUVs team. Path planning is formulated as finite receding horizon model predictive control (MPC) optimization. A dynamic-aware linear kinodynamic motion equation is developed. The mathematical formulation for the MPC optimization is effectively developed where localization is integrated as consensus graph optimization among AUV nodes. Edges in the optimized AUV-to-USV (A2U) and AUV-to-AUV (A2A) graphs are constrained to the sonar range of acoustic modems. The time complexity of the consensus MPC optimization problem is analyzed, revealing a nonconvex NP-hard problem, which is solved using sequential convex programming. Numerical simulation results are provided to evaluate the proposed method.