Nonlinear Disturbance Observer-Based Sliding Mode Controller for Underwater Vehicles

To improve the performance of rejecting disturbances for underwater vehicles, a nonlinear disturbance observer-based sliding mode controller is proposed. Specifically, the proposed control framework simultaneously utilizes the insensitivity to the disturbances of the sliding mode controller and the disturbance compensation ability of the disturbance observer. Besides, a series of rigorous mathematical analyses are provided to indicate the stability of the proposed controller. Finally, the results of the simulation demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed controller.