Attitude Control of AUV using Multiple Buoyancy Engines for Exploration and Water Column Profiling

We propose a conceptual design of AUV which can control its attitude so move vertically or horizontally to collect water column data effectively. Most profiler systems are usually launched at a specific point and are retrieved again after investigating the water column. However, this procedure requires much time and effort to collect data on multiple regions of interest. We designed a torpedo-shaped AUV which explores multiple regions of interest and gets the data in the water column autonomously. By using four hydraulic buoyancy engines, the proposed AUV can sink and float without much power consumption. Also, the AUV can change its attitude to move in the horizontal direction and find out new region of interest with its multi-parameter sensors. To verify the feasibility of proposed AUV control method, we calculated the buoyant force of each buoyancy engine and vehicle, required electric power, and operation time.