Group: Hydroman



Group Description: (9 modules)

The Hydrodynamic Model Aided Navigation (Hydroman) toolbox is written as a payload based under-ice AUV navigation system for a Bluefin 21-inch AUV that will be deployed at ICE Exercise 2020 (ICEX-20). The original purpose of hydroman is to accurately and reliably navigate the AUV when she is underneath drifting surface ice sheets in the Arctic with possibilities to lose external INS aiding; i.e., acoustic position fixes (i.e. similar to an LBL system) and DVL ice-lock. Hydroman receives information such as ice drifting speed & heading, and AUV’s acoustic position fixes via DCCL messages from top-side (using a system written by Dr. Toby Schneider and Prof. Henrik Schmidt). This information is used to compensate DVL ice-track measurements for surface ice drifts. The toolbox includes an AUV dynamic model that is being calibrated on-the-fly when acoustic position fixes and/or DVL ice-lock are available. This dynamic model is used to correct the time-lags in acoustic position fixes and also used to aid the IxBlue PHINS 3 INS when external aidings are unavailable or unreliable. Post ICEX-20, we plan to extend Hydroman Toolbox to a silent/low-powered AUV navigation system (e.g. by only using passive acoustics and limiting DVL usage) without compromising the navigation accuracy.

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