GEOMETRICAL ASPECTS OF A SONAR-BASED NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR UNDERWATER VEHICLES

A novel self-contained navigation system has been devised for underwater vehicles operating in and around offshore installations. This system matches data from a sector-scanning sonar device to a computer model of the installation. The paper begins by highlighting the existing approaches to subsea navigation before outlining the main features of the proposed system. It then concentrates on a key component of this system which is a method for calculating the position and heading of an underwater vehicle navigating in the vicinity of tubular steel structures. An iterative solution method is presented which incorporates six degree of freedom vehicle motions and this is verified in a series of laboratory experiments with various arrangements of structural members and using a commercial sonar device. The key features, applications and performance of this method are discussed. The main conclusion is that the proposed method for calculating the position and heading of an underwater vehicle contributes towards achieving an accurate and reliable subsea navigation capability.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Ocean Engng, v 23 n 2, Feb 1996, p 201 [17 p, 15 ref, 7 fig]
• Authors:
  • Mclaren, N
  • Kuo, C
• Publication Date: 1996

Language

• English

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Geometry; Navigation systems; Sonar; Underwater vehicles
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00727464
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: British Maritime Technology
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 1 1996 12:00AM