Adaptable Joystick Control System for Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles

Abstract: Current commercial remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) used for inspection, maintenance and repair tasks of subsea petroleum facilities are operated with a low level of automation. Precise and efficient operation of the vehicles is hard, and the vehicle operators need extensive training to operate these efficiently. A properly designed automation system has the potential to lower the required skill and experience level for the operator, increase operation efficiency and counteract operator fatigue. This paper uses theory from development of human centered automation (HCA) in the aviation industry to propose a new human centered control system enabling shared control of ROVs. The control system is implemented in a simulator and evaluated qualitatively. The human centered control system includes four modes of operation; position control, object of interest orbit control, autopilot mode, and waypoint guidance mode. The main contributions of this work are as follows: a human centered approach in ROV control system design, development of a reference velocity scaling for predictable position control, an adaptive joystick deadband function, an orbit control mode using a super-ellipse as base shape. Finally, guidelines for predictable control system behavior are suggested.