Underwater Towed Vehicle

Abstract

Many types of underwater towed vehicles (UTVs) have been developed so far as a tool for oceanographic real-time surveys in wide area. UTV has various missions such as monitoring of oceanographic environment, seabed survey and inspection of pipeline on seabed. There is a tendency to use ITV as an underwater platform having the capability of moving in wide area with stable attitude. One of the important technologies realizing it is guidance and control of UTV.
This research deals with a new type of UTV maneuverable in both vertical and horizontal axis with stable attitude. Control Confifured Vehicle (CCV) technology in aeronautical field is adopted to perform the attitude control. Thre types of guidance ,(1)lateral movement survey in horizontal plane, (2)seabed survey in vertical plane with constant altitude and (3)vertical and lateral movement survey of underwater structure or towed body are considered. Fuzzy algorithm is used for control system. (ref.(1),(2)
A test bed (SEAKITE) was made to test the performance of guidance and control system.

• movie at a towing tank test（Aug. 1995) (1,063KB " tow.mpg")

References

(1)N.Kato, "Underwater Towed Vehicle Maneuverable in Both Vertical and Horizontal Axis,"
Proc. of 1st Int. Offshore and Polar Eng. Con., Vol.2, pp.85-92, 1991
(2)N.Kato, "Guidance and Control of Underwater Towed Vehicle Maneuverable in Both Vertical and Horizontal Axis," Proc. of 2nd Int. Offshore and Polar Eng. Con., Vol.2, pp.505-92512, 1992