Trajectory optimization with gradient descent for a variable-volume float

In the realm of fluid dynamics and particle transport, the control of particle trajectories represents a formidable challenge. It would be useful to be able to optimally navigate an oceanographic float from one pre-set location to another by solely changing its buoyancy. In this thesis, a first step in discovering whether this is possible and...

PDDL-Based Task Planning of Survey Missions for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles: A generic planning system, taking into account location uncertainty and environmental properties

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are unmanned vehicles that give the opportunity to carry out lengthy and dangerous tasks autonomously. This is particularly useful for survey tasks, where the objective is to search the seafloor for objects. In this thesis work a planning system is developed that can plan a path for survey tasks, while...

Semantic knowledge to assess the capabilities of AUVs for planning

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are unmanned vehicles that are often used for searching an area of the seabed for objects, such as naval mines. For autonomous planning of such search operations, it is useful to be able to infer what tasks an AUV can perform and how well it can do so. The objective for this final thesis project therefore...

Towards sparse seismic acquisition with AUVs: improving underwater navigation and full wavefield migration of seismic and AUV data

This thesis demonstrates, that bathymetric data improves data imaging results of full wavefield migration using different acquisition designs. The algorithm gets more stable by constraining the inversion with the sea bottom information, especially in case of large source and receiver spacings, without making compromises on image quality. Not...

Autonomous Coverage Path Planning For AUVs Considering Location Uncertainty

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are unmanned vehicles that operate underwater. These vehicles can be used for various operations, including scanning the ocean floor in order to search for objects. In such operations, the AUV navigates close to the ocean floor, using its sonar systems to map this ocean floor. Before an AUV is launched on a...

Recovery of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle by jumping out of the water like a penguin

This reports outlines the results of an investigation into the feasibility of recovery by jumping on a platform like a penguin, compared to performance of existing recovery systems. The enquiry begins by introducing the model that has been developed to simulate the hydrodynamics of the AUV, including the implementation of water exit and orbital...