Modeling of a Small Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle for Autonomous Navigation and Control

Autonomous control of a remotely operated underwater vehicle requires a high fidelity simulation model to be developed. In this paper, we present a simulation model of a commercially available Mini Observant Class ROV that is developed based on first principles and validated by empirical data. Open-loop testing conducted on the underwater vehicle is utilized to validate the pitch attitude behavior and fine-tune the physical parameters in the simulation model. In addition, three autopilot systems is designed using classical control theory to enable autonomous control over the attitudes and depth of the underwater vehicle.