ARTICLE
DOI: 10.5772/56810
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Luis Govinda García-Valdovinos, Tomás Salgado-Jiménez, Manuel Bandala-Sánchez, Luciano Nava-Balanzar, Rodrigo Hernández- 3
Alvarado and José Antonio Cruz-Ledesma: Modelling, Design and Robust Control of a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle
mode is carried out. Experimental results demonstrate a The methodology proposed in this paper was firstly
good performance by the proposed controller. The reported in [30], where a second order sliding-PD control
authors of [28] combine sliding mode control with fuzzy was proposed to address the station keeping problem and
logic control. The combination objective is to reduce trajectory tracking under disturbances.
chattering effect due to model parameter uncertainties
and unknown perturbations. Two control approaches are 1.2 Contribution
tested: a Fuzzy Sliding Mode Controller (FSMC) and a
A great number of control strategies have been published
Sliding Mode Fuzzy Controller (SMFC). The FSMC uses
in the last few decades, ranging from PID-types to neuro-
simple fuzzy logic control to fuzzify the relationship of
fuzzy controllers. In this paper, a new model-free second
the control command and the distance between the actual
order sliding mode controller is proposed. The good
state and the sliding surface. On the other hand, for the
performance of the controller is verified through
FSMC each rule is a sliding mode controller. The
simulations of an underactuated six DOF underwater
boundary layer and the coefficients of the sliding surface
vehicle and validated experimentally in a one DOF
become the coefficients of the rule output function. Open
underwater vehicle.
water experiments were conducted to test an AUV's
depth and heading controls. Better behaviour was
Additionally, the design and complete set of parameters
detected in the SMFC. Finally, an adaptive first order
of the Kaxan ROV are presented.
sliding mode control for an AUV for a diving manoeuvre
is implemented in [29]. This control technique combines 1.3 Organization of the paper
the adaptivity of a direct adaptive control algorithm with
the robustness of a sliding mode controller. The paper is organized as follows. Section II describes the
main parts of the Kaxan ROV and its dynamic model.
1.1.7 Thruster Dynamics Section III presents the control design. Section IV is aimed
at presenting the stability analysis of the control system.
Thruster dynamics have large influence on ROVs’
Section V presents simulation results of the complete six
behaviour and is a well-studied phenomenon. Numerous
DOF Kaxan’s dynamic model and Section VI describes
works have been conducted concerning the thruster
the experimental results of a one DOF underwater
dynamics influences on robot control. Examples can be
system, which reveals the excellent behaviour of the
found in [33-35].
proposed control law.
1.1.8 Model-Free High Order Sliding
Mode Control (MF-HOSMC) 2. The Kaxan ROV
Sliding Mode (SM) techniques are an excellent choice for 2.1 The Kaxan ROV development
underwater system control, due to their robustness in the
This section describes the development of the shallow
face of model changes, uncertainties and disturbances.
water Kaxan ROV.
Nevertheless, standard SM introduces high frequency
signals into the system (chattering effect).
The ROV was named Kaxan (which in Mexican Mayan
dialect means “the seeker”). The main project objective is
In order to avoid the chattering problem and the need for
to develop a basic visual inspection of hydroelectric dams
knowing the dynamics, a new methodology called a
and oil platforms.
Model-Free High Order Sliding Mode Control (MF-
HOSMC) is proposed in [30]. MF-HOSMC’s principal
Figure 2 shows different views of the Kaxan ROV
characteristic is that it keeps the main advantages of the
prototype. Kaxan’s main characteristics are:
standard SMC, while removing the chattering effects [31].
• Weight: 90kg (approximately).
The MF-HOSMC’s principal characteristics are that it
• Dimensions: length 1.1m ൈ height 0.65m ൈ width
keeps the main advantages of the standard SMC, thus
0.9m.
removing the chattering effects. The proposed controller
exhibits very interesting features, such as: • Maximum operation depth: 120m.
i. A model-free controller because it neither requires • Main sensors: depth sensor, gyros, inclinometer and
the dynamics nor any knowledge of parameters, compass.
ii. It is a smooth, but robust control, based on second • Four thrusters: one vertical, one lateral and two at
order sliding modes, that is, a chattering-free the rear.
controller is attained. • Two underwater lamps.
iii. The control system attains exponential position • One camera on the front.
tracking and velocity, with no acceleration • One Electric robot manipulator, for sample pickup.
measurements. (maximum sample weight: 5kg).
Luis Govinda García-Valdovinos, Tomás Salgado-Jiménez, Manuel Bandala-Sánchez, Luciano Nava-Balanzar, Rodrigo Hernández- 5
Alvarado and José Antonio Cruz-Ledesma: Modelling, Design and Robust Control of a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle
robots to have high speed computation. However, it is 2.2 Kaxan hydrodynamic model
hard to implement additional functions:
• Vision tools: object measurement, distance Following standard practice [32], a six DOF nonlinear
measurement, etc. model of an underwater vehicle was obtained by using
• Advanced control tools: station keeping and new the global reference of an Earth-fixed frame and a Body-
fixed frame, see Figure 6. The Body-fixed frame is
control alternatives, such as the controller proposed
attached to the vehicle. Its origin is normally at the centre
here.
of gravity. The motion of the Body-fixed frame is
2.1.4 ROV Control described relative to the Earth-fixed frame.
The control functions that the ROV will have are heading
and depth control. However, for some applications it will
be desired that the ROV has a station keeping function
(the vehicle’s ability to maintain the same position and
orientation at all times even under disturbances). This
ability is hard to implement in a relatively small size ROV
and in order to test some station keeping control
techniques, an ROV simulator in Matlab/Simulink was
developed (described below). Many control strategies
were tested in the simulator, the most innovative control
technique was the Model-free High Order Sliding Mode
Control (MF-HOSMC).
ߟሶ ܬሺߟ ሻ ܱଷൈଷ ߥଵ
ଵ൨ ൌ ଵ ଶ ൨ቂ ቃ (3)
Figure 5. System GUI (Graphical User Interface) ߟሶ ଶ ܱଷൈଷ ܬଶ ሺߟଶ ሻ ߥଶ
F3 y
2.2.2 Hydrodynamic model F1
The equations of motion expressed in the Body-fixed F2 z
frame are given as follows [32, 41-42]:
Figure. 7. Geometric location of Kaxan robot thrusters
��� � ����� � ����� � ���� � � (4)
�� � ����� The thruster dynamics are included in our ROV simulator
using the thruster response curves (Control Voltage vs.
where � � �� and � �� were defined above, � � ���� Thrust) provided by the manufacturer (see curves for
denotes the inertia matrix (including added mass), model 520 and 540 in Figure 8 and Figure 9, respectively).
� � ���� is the matrix of Corilolis and centripetal terms The thruster curve responses were approximated by 8th
(including added mass), � � ���� is the damping matrix, and 12th grade polynomials, captured with a high fidelity
� � �� represents the vector of gravitational forces and dead zone. Saturation is also considered in the
� � �� is the vector of the control inputs. approximated thruster dynamics.
with:
Luis Govinda García-Valdovinos, Tomás Salgado-Jiménez, Manuel Bandala-Sánchez, Luciano Nava-Balanzar, Rodrigo Hernández- 7
Alvarado and José Antonio Cruz-Ledesma: Modelling, Design and Robust Control of a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle
The thruster dynamics model receives as input, in voltage 3. Control Design
units, the control signal computed in the Earth-fixed
frame (�� as will be seen below). The thruster model Since Equation (7) is linearly parametrizable by the
transforms this voltage into thrust and then it is applied product of a regressor ���, �� , �� � � ���� composed of
to the ROV’s dynamics, as depicted in Figure 10. This known nonlinear functions and a vector � � ��
approach does not capture the thruster transient composed of constant parameters, then the
response; it’s only valid when the ROV moves at a parameterization ���, �� , �� �� can be written in terms of a
constant velocity, with no abrupt velocity changes. nominal reference ��� and its time derivative �� � as
follows:
2.2.4 Ocean currents
�� ����� � � �� ��, ���� � � �� ��, ���� � � �� ��� � ���, �� , �� � , �� � ��
Some factors that generate currents are tide, local wind,
(12)
nonlinear waves, ocean circulation, density difference,
etc. It's not the objective of this work to carry out an in
Subtracting (12) in both sides of Equation (7) leads to the
depth study of this phenomena, but only to study the
open-loop error dynamics:
current-induced model proposed by [32, 42]. This
methodology proposes that the equations of motion can
�� ������ � �� ��, ���� � �� ��, ���� � �� � �� ��, �� , �� � , �� � �� (13)
be represented in terms of relative velocity:
where �� � �� � �� � is called the extended error. The
�� � � � ��� (9) problem of control design for the open-loop error
dynamics (13) is to find � such that exponential
where ��� � ��� �� �� 0 0 0�� is a vector of convergence arises when �� ��, �� , �� � , �� � �� is not available.
irrotational Body-fixed current velocities. From (3), it was
2.3 Nominal reference
shown that Earth-fixed linear velocity can be transformed
to Body-fixed linear velocity by applying principal Now, consider the following nominal reference:
rotation matrices. Let the Earth-fixed current velocity
vector be denoted by ���� ��� ��� �. Hence, Body-fixed �
�� � � �� � � ��� � �� � �� �� ������� ��� (14)
components can be computed as follows:
Let’s assume that the Body-fixed current velocity is � � ��� � ���, �� � ���� �� ��� , �� � � � �� (15)
constant or at least slowly-varying such that the
following holds: with � � 0. Considering (14), the extended error �� can be
rewritten as follows:
�� �� � 0 � ��� � ��
�
�� � �� � �� �� ������� ��� (16)
Hence, the nonlinear relative equations of motion (4) take
the form [32, 42]:
The main result is given next.
��� � ���� ��� � ���� ��� � ���� � �
4. Model-Free High Order Sliding Mode Control
The Earth-fixed fluid velocity components ���� , ��� , ��� �
can be ralated to �� (the average current velocity over the Let’s consider the following control law [30, 36]:
draft of the vehicle) by defining two angles: �� (angle of
attack) and �� (sideslip angle), describing the orientation �� � ��� �� (17)
of �� about the � � and � � ����, respectively, as shown
below: where �� is a diagonal definite positive � � � gain matrix.
��� � �� ��� �� ��� �� , Notice that the control neither requires the dynamics nor
��� � �� ��� �� any knowledge of robot parameters. Figure 10 depicts the
MF-HOSMC block diagram.
��� � �� ��� �� ��� �� (11)
Figure 10. Block diagram of the MF-HOSMC control scheme Now, multiplying (21) by ��� one obtains:
Luis Govinda García-Valdovinos, Tomás Salgado-Jiménez, Manuel Bandala-Sánchez, Luciano Nava-Balanzar, Rodrigo Hernández- 9
Alvarado and José Antonio Cruz-Ledesma: Modelling, Design and Robust Control of a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle
� �� � ��
��� � �� �
� � � ��
�
�
�� � � � � � � (24)
�� � � ��� ��� � �� ��� �
��� � �� ��� � �� ��� � �� ��� �
� � � ���� ��� � �� ��� � �� ��� �
Kaxan’s parameters and hydrodynamic model are given The trajectory is performed in two stages:
in Appendix A and B, respectively.
5.4.1 Straight line
5.1 Virtual environment
The robot follows a straight line from position
In order to give more realism to the simulation, a 3D ��, �, �, �, �, �� � �0,0,0,0,0,0� ��, ���� to final position
virtual reality environment was developed. In general, ��, �, �, �, �, �� � �2,0,0,0,0, ��2� ��, ���� in a lapse of 5
virtual reality provides the visualization of 3D systems, seconds.
making the analysis from any angle easier.
Luis Govinda García-Valdovinos, Tomás Salgado-Jiménez, Manuel Bandala-Sánchez, Luciano Nava-Balanzar, Rodrigo Hernández- 11
Alvarado and José Antonio Cruz-Ledesma: Modelling, Design and Robust Control of a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle
6.1 Mechanical system
6.4 Discussion
8. Acknowledgments
9. References
Figure 22. Control input behaviour
Luis Govinda García-Valdovinos, Tomás Salgado-Jiménez, Manuel Bandala-Sánchez, Luciano Nava-Balanzar, Rodrigo Hernández- 13
Alvarado and José Antonio Cruz-Ledesma: Modelling, Design and Robust Control of a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle
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Appendix A - Kaxan parameters B. Matrix C