Energy-efficient control strategies for updating an augmented terrain-based navigation map for autonomous underwater navigation

Accurate and energy-efficient navigation and localization methods for autonomous underwater vehicles continues to be an active area of research. As we increase the endurance of autonomous underwater vehicles, we will require navigation and localization solutions that are robust over the entire deployment duration. Rather than look at expensive and high-energy instrumentation, we examine the utility of maps created from data gathered in the region of interest. In this paper, we present a formulation of a terrain map for applications in traditional terrain-based navigation, and then examine control strategies for energy-efficient paths that update this map for successive deployments over time. Results from field deployments are used to motivate and constrain the optimal control problem.