A Fuzzy Rule Based Docking Procedure For Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Abstract

A fuzzy logic control system is described whch allows an Autonomous Underwater Vehcle (AW) to safely dock with another underwater vehicle 'The fuzzy logic controller's rulebase recursively drives the docking vehicle towards intermediate fuzzy targets that will put the vehicle in a increasingly better position from which dockmg is increasingly more achevable . The initial rule base was created from trial runs performed by human operators driving a highly accurate simulation of the dockmg vehicle behavior. A six degree of freedomnon-linear model of the Ocean Voyager dynamics is used to test the performance of an AUVunder fuzzy control. The imaginary dockmg collar is fixed to a simple, stationary modld of a 688 Los Angeles Class submarine. Docking is then attempted from any position around the submarine.