Robust Adaptive Depth Control of Hybrid Underwater Glider in Vertical Plane

Hybrid underwater glider (HUG) is an advanced autonomous underwater vehicle with propellers capable of sustainable operations for many months. Under the underwater disturbances and parameter uncertainties, it is difficult that the HUG coordinates with the desired depth in a robust manner. In this study, a robust adaptive control algorithm for the HUG is proposed. In the descend and ascend periods, the pitch control is designed using backstepping technique and direct adaptive control. When the vehicle approaches the target depth, the surge speed control using adaptive control combined with the pitch control is used to keep the vehicle at the desired depth with a constant cruising speed in the presence of the disturbances. The stability of the proposed controller is verified by using the Lyapunov theorem. Finally, the computer simulation using the numerical method is conducted to show the effectiveness of the proposed controller for a hybrid underwater glider system.