Development of an environment-sensitive navigation system for the AUV autolycus

The development of underwater robotic vehicles throughout the past 30 years has contributed significantly to various types of underwater search, survey, and recovery applications. To learn about these complex systems, the MIT Design of Ocean Systems Class of 1997 designed and built an inexpensive Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Autolycus. The Design Class of 1998 further developed this vehicle, adding a sonar altimeter to its sensor array, as well as integrating a dead reckoning navigation system. In the spring of 1999, the design class was challenged to modify the AUV Autolycus to incorporate environment-based control and to double the vehicle's maximum controllable velocity. To succeed in these modifications, a thorough understanding of state-of-the-art AUV systems, design of new hardware and software systems, and extensive testing and evaluation of these systems were required. Results of these efforts included the addition of a five-channel sonar system, new main thrusters, and a new control algorithm used to control the new hardware. Preliminary successes in wall-following and other environment-triggered behaviors were achieved.