SIMULATION AND GENETIC ALGORITHMS FOR CONTROL PLANNING OF UNDERWATER VEHICLE TRAJECTORIES

The case of submarine rendezvous where a high-maneuverability AUV should meet a submarine platform for energy, samples and data service is considered. The AUV has a set of thrusters. It is difficult to know how to activate the thrusters for the rendezvous operation. A simulation is developed to consider several scenarios, with submarine obstacles, and to solve the control problem. Genetic algorithms are used to determine the best AUV trajectory from surface to the final state, and to obtain the best control planning, using the thrusters, for path following along the trajectory. This paper describes the problem and the solution in simulation. Several scenarios are considered, and the solutions are presented. The simulation system will be used for programming a real AUV before diving.