Robust control of horizontal formation dynamics for autonomous underwater vehicles

This paper presents a novel robust controller design for formation control of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). We consider a nonlinear three-degree-of-freedom dynamic model for the horizontal motion of each AUV. By using the Jacobi transform, the horizontal dynamics of AUVs are explicitly expressed as dynamics for formation shape and formation center, and are further decoupled by feedback control. We treat the coupling terms as perturbations to the decoupled system. An H_∞. state feedback controller is designed to achieve robust stability of the closed loop formation and translation dynamics. By incorporating an orientation controller, the formation shape under control converges and the formation center tracks a desired trajectory simultaneously. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the controllers.