An embedded linux based navigation system for an autonomous underwater vehicle

The purpose of a data acquisition system is to provide reliable and timely information. The received information can be then analyzed in real-time or remotely to assess the state of the measured environment. Similarly, for an autonomous underwater navigation system it is critical to analyze the data received from the inertial measurement unit and other acoustic sensors to calculate its position and direct the vehicle. This work is an effort toward the development of a data logging system based on an embedded Linux platform for an unmanned underwater vehicle. An embedded Linux based board has been chosen as the core data processing unit of the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). This work implements device drivers required for interfacing the inertial sensors and GPS unit to the core-processing unit. This system is intended to provide a development base for implementing various navigation algorithms, like Kalman Filter, to calculate the direction of the vehicle.