A low fidelity mathematical model of a biomimetic AUV for multi-vehicle cooperation

While the advantages of operating AUVs within a multi-vehicle scenario are apparent, the complications associated with the underwater environment have provided a barrier preventing the successful operation of a self-organising group of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). Although AUV technology has matured sufficiently to overcome these challenges, the development of suitable coordination algorithms that take into account the various nuisances of the underwater environment is still a relatively unexplored area of development. In order to design such algorithms a validated mathematical model representing the dynamics and kinematics of the vehicle is required to represent each group member. However, the fidelity of the model has to be taken into consideration in order to ensure a practical simulation time is achieved when multiple vehicles are being simulated. Consequently, this paper describes a validated high fidelity model of the biomimetic AUV RoboSalmon and the techniques utilised to reduce the model's fidelity to improve the simulation run time. Once validated, the low fidelity model is used to analyse the efficiency and effectiveness of coordination algorithms based on the behavioural mechanisms associated with fish in school structures. The results demonstrate that by using look-up tables to replace certain aspects of the high fidelity model allows for a tenfold decrease in the simulation run time while maintaining an accurate representation of the AUVs dynamics. The results from the simulations involving the coordination algorithms demonstrated a dependency on certain configuration parameters to ensure the formation of a stable group structure.