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Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) navigation for observation-class ROVs | IEEE Conference Publication | IEEE Xplore

Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) navigation for observation-class ROVs


Abstract:

Doppler Velocity Logs (DVLs) have become increasingly popular as navigation tools on remotely-operated vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles, and human-occupied vehicl...Show More

Abstract:

Doppler Velocity Logs (DVLs) have become increasingly popular as navigation tools on remotely-operated vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles, and human-occupied vehicles for over a decade. Using acoustic measurements to capture bottom tracking velocity measurements, DVLs can provide updated velocities which can in turn be used to calculate distance traveled. Thus, DVLs can perform as fundamental components of dead-reckoning (DR) underwater navigation systems and aided-inertial navigation systems (INS). Historically, the use of DVLs has been restricted to larger vehicles and vessels that possess the payload capacity and the data bandwidth to carry the subsea transducer arrays. Recently, several manufacturers have developed a new class of smaller DVLs that mark a dramatic reduction in size while maintaining comparable performance characteristics to their larger brothers and sisters. Many of these can be found as components that are integrated into the navigation systems on commercially available autonomous underwater vehicles. An exciting development in this class of DVL has been a fully self-contained system that measures approximately 4.5 inches in diameter and 10 inches in length and approximately 1 pound when submerged. Assembled with an internal compass, pitch, and roll sensor, the Explorer DVL provides a plug-and-play capability for a dead-reckoning navigation solution that can be integrated into a variety of underwater platforms. These smaller, self-contained DVLs, coupled with the payload capacity and data throughput of some observation-class ROVs, present an exciting opportunity for self-contained, dead-reckoning navigation. A dead-reckoning navigation solution on a small, man-portable observation-class ROV can be integrated into existing navigation software and control systems to provide improved survey capabilities and spatial awareness for a class of ROV that is finding increasing demand as a survey tool. Improvements and miniaturization in the technolo...
Date of Conference: 20-23 September 2010
Date Added to IEEE Xplore: 10 December 2010
ISBN Information:
Print ISSN: 0197-7385
Conference Location: Seattle, WA, USA

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