CDR FOR AUV DANAS

Sree Narayana Gurukulam

College of Engineering,
Kadayiruppu,Kolenchery

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN REPORT

SUBMITTED FOR
NIOT STUDENTS COMPETITION SAVe 2017
PROJECT TITLE:
STUDENTS AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLE (SAVe)

PROJECT MEMBERS
GOWTHAM RAJAGOPAL
RAHULNATH R
SIROSH PRAKASH
JOEL JACOB JOY
AJAY SOOD
Semester IV, Naval Architecture and Ship Building Engineering Department
SNGCE, Kochi

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ABSTRACT
Autonomous underwater vehicles are currently being utilized for scientific,
commercial and military underwater applications. These vehicles require
autonomous guidance and control systems in order to perform underwater
tasks. Modeling, system identification and control of these vehicles are still
major active areas of research and development. This report is concerned
with the design and development of an AUV specifically intended for entry
into international underwater vehicle competitions. The report consists of
two phases; the first involves the design and construction of the vehicle
while the second phase is concerned with the modelling and system
identification of the vehicle, as well as the simulation of a control system.
The design and development of the vehicle consisted of implementing a
mechanical and electrical system, as well as the integration of subsystems.
The development of these Systems has resulted in a low-speed, bottom-
heavy, open-frame underwater vehicle named DANAS that exhibits high
symmetry, modularity and stability. The modelling of the DANAS was then
performed which involved the application of the dynamic model of an
underwater vehicle and the consequent identification of the relevant
parameters. The system identification of the vehicle parameters consisted
of using onboard sensors to perform static and dynamic experiments. Least
squares estimation was used to estimate the parameters from the
experimental data obtained. For the control system of the DANAS, a PID
tracking controller based on computed torque control was adopted. The
controller was applied to the vehicles dynamics and Simulated using the
parameters found in the system identification process. The results of the
simulations demonstrate that this type of controller could indeed be
successfully implemented on the vehicle. The undertakings in this report
have resulted in a functioning autonomous underwater vehicle that has
undergone modelling, system identification and preliminary control analysis.
The groundwork has indeed been laid for the DANASs entry into future
underwater Competitions.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

There are a number of people who deserve mention and gratitude for their
help, guidance and support during the making of this report. Firstly we
would like to thank our SNGCE management for allowing us to participate
in the NIOT SAVe competition 2017.Our sincere gratitude to Dr Saji C.B
Principal, SNGCE for permitting us to participate in this national level
competition and for his extraordinary support towards us. We would like to
thank Prof. Satheesh Babu, Head Of Department, Naval Architecture and
Ship building Engineering for giving us this valuable insight into naval
architecture aspects and for taking personal initiative to make the
departments own AUV primarily for entering the international underwater
competitions, but also to undertake and promote research into underwater
robotics. We like to thank our faculties Mr. Savin Viswanathan, Mr. Pramod K
B and other faculties of SNGCE for their constructive criticism and valuable
guidance throughout this work. We would like to thank the entire team of
DANAS and everyone who has been directly or indirectly involved for making
this viable concept and uplifting the idea.

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Table of Contents
i. Literature Review
ii. Project Motivation
iii. Concept development

1. Design Particulars
1.1 Choosing the final design
1.2 Mechanical system design
2. Weight Estimation
3. Preliminary Stability Analysis
3.1 Three types of buoyancy
3.2 Scope of future development in fail safe mechanism
4. Basic vehicle frame design and material selection criteria
4.1 Frame design selection criteria
4.2 Material selection criteria
5. Component placement and weight distribution
6. CG and CB Calculation
7. Drag Calculation and Coefficient of Drag
7.1 Pressure Drag and Coefficient of Drag
8. Vehicle speed
9. Power budget and type of battery
10. Navigational system
11. Sensors and equipments
11.1 Altitude and heading reference system
11.2 Temperature sensor
11.3 Proprioceptive sensors
11.4 Water leak detector
11.5 Ultrasonic sensors
11.6 Doppler velocity log

11.7 Salinity sensors

11.8 Pressure sensor

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11.9 Electronic speed controllers

11.10 Processing units
11.10.1 ARDUINO MEGA 2560
11.10.2 Raspberry PI GEN 2
11.11 Thrusters
12. Endurance and range of AUV coverage
13. Type of controller and control algorithms
14. Manoeuvrability (Thruster position Design)
15. Obstacle avoidance
16. Camera based imaging with lights
17. Launch and recovery
18. Any other special features
19. Conclusion
20. References

List of Tables
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Table Number Title Page Number

1 Vessel Particulars of DANAS 13
2 Weight Estimation for DANAS 15
3 Material Specifications: 18
4 Sensor Power budget 22
5 Arduino Mega 2560 specifications 33
6 Thruster Specifications 36
7 Gain coefficients and change in parameters 41

List of Figures

Table Number Title Page Number

1 The MAKO designed in UWA 8
2 MITs Orca AUV being tested in a swimming pool 9
The model of AUV DANAS developed in Creo
3 13
-Isometric
The model of AUV DANAS developed in Creo
4 14
Front view
5 Volume calculation Done in CREO 14
Effects of buoyancy and weight on an underwater
6 16
body
7 Frame for AUV DANAS made in CREO 17
8 Shows the conditions of attaining stability 19
9 Battery Comparison 22
10 Navigation System flowchart 23
11 Navigation System 23
12 Figure of UM7 orientation sensor. 24
Figure of DS18B20 Temperature sensor with
13 25
waterproof probe
14 Water leak detector 27
15 Ultrasonic sensor 28
16 DVL 29
17 Salinity Sensor 30
18 Pressure Sensor 31
19 Electronic Speed Controller 32
Arduino Mega2560
20 34
21 Raspberry Pi Gen 2 35
22 Thruster T100 36
23 Motor Power v/s Current v/s Thrust 37
24 Oxygen and temperature data collected by the AUV 38
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25 Seafloor mapping AUV 39

26 PID layout 40
27 PID controller and plant 40
28 Output signal from controller 41
29 Obstacle avoidance flowchart 42
30 Logitech C920 Pro 43
31 Marker dropper with marker 44

LITERATURE REVIEW

AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLES (AUVs)

are utilized for a wide range of commercial operations including underwater survey missions such
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as detecting and mapping submerged wrecks, rocks, and obstructions that can be a hazard to
navigation for commercial and recreational vessels. Their applications in offshore sector include
Baseline Environmental Assessment, Geophysical Survey, Pipeline Survey and Debris/Clearance
Survey. In hydrography they are used in Route Survey, Habitat Mapping and deep Sea mining,
Charting, EEZ Survey and Pre/Post Dredging Survey .In environmental monitoring they can be
utilized in Emergency Response, Water Quality and Ecosystem Assessment. They can also be
deployed at the front lines of combat to provide situational awareness to small units of troops
through real-time information about surrounding areas. An AUV conducts its survey mission
without operator intervention. When a mission is complete, the AUV will return to a pre-
programmed location where the data can be downloaded and processed. AUVs allow scientists to
conduct other experiments from a surface ship while the vehicle is off collecting data elsewhere on
the surface or in the deep ocean These AUVs can weigh very less compared to other vessels.
However, even the lightest models must be fairly fast to provide sufficient speed while maintaining
efficiency. These autonomous vehicles also need space to turn and although research has
enhanced their capability to maneuver in small spaces over a specified area. One of the first
designs of a modern AUV was The Mako which is the first AUV of the University of Western
Australia developed in 2004 at the Mobile Robotics Lab of CIPPS. It has a strongly symmetric
design with two vertical thrusters for heave motion and two thrusters attached on the sides for
surge and yaw motion. Recent research on the AUV deals with motion control and the sensor
suite.

Figure 1. The MAKO designed in UWA

Second design we took into account was the ORCA which is developed in Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT) which has two PVC tubes mounted on an aluminum frame. Batteries are
situated in the bottom tube to lower the center of mass and increase the righting moment of the
vehicle. Each tube has a sliding card mounted with electronic equipment. These cards use
connectors to connect the electronic equipment to the PVC end plate. The end plate contains the
external connectors. This configuration eliminates the need for disconnecting cables when
removing the cards from the tubes.

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Figure 2: MITs Orca AUV being tested in a swimming pool

Propulsion is provided via two motors mounted on the sides for horizontal movement
and two vertical motors for depth control. These thrusters are powered via six 12V, 3Ahbatteries
while the remaining electronic equipment utilizes four other 12V batteries. An onboard monitoring
system measures individual voltages and currents for power management purposes. The AUV has
an inertial measurement unit consisting of two gyroscopes and three accelerometers. A compass
module assists in attitude determination and navigation while Doppler Velocity Logger is used to
determine the velocity of the vehicle with respect tithe bottom. All onboard functions are controlled
via a PC running Linux.

Similar AUVs have been developed both by academia and industry for a wide variety of operations
which are working in various challenging environments.

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PROJECT MOTIVATION
The department of Naval architecture and Ship Building, SNGCE is on a quest to use novel
technologies and innovations in underwater vehicles and similar platforms for day to day
applications for laymans use in our society. The spirit of enquiry, innovation and enthusiasm of
students combined with guidance of our faculty can achieve this goal without any doubt. To realize
this aspiration a small team was established. Project DANAS, as this endeavor came to be known,
would involve implementing a control, sonar, and vision and communications system, not to
mention implementing the actual vehicle itself. It became the aim of the team to lay the
groundwork for following years NIOT AUV competitions.
The objectives of this project were to:
Design and develop the mechanical and electrical systems of an AUV
Integrate the vision, sonar and communications subsystems into the vehicle
Perform system identification and modelling of the vehicle
Apply and simulate a control system for the vehicle
As such, this project can be seen as having been divided into two phases. The first phase involved
the design and construction of the DANAS AUV, including not only the mechanical system, but
also the electrical system of the vehicle. The overall vehicle was developed so as to adhere to the
rules and regulations of the NIOT SAVe competition. The second phase involved the system
identification, modelling and preliminary control analysis of the vehicle using onboard sensors and
software. This report did not directly involve the implementation of the sonar, vision or
communications systems. These three sections were each implemented by the other team
members involved in the DANAS project. However, the mechanical and electrical designs had to
take into account the components required for these systems so as to be able to successfully
accommodate and unite all the systems in the final stages of the development of the vehicle.

CONCEPT DEVOLOPMENT
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A two hull four thruster configuration has been chosen for the AUV DANAS. This design lays in the
advantage of increased space for components and an innate metacentric righting moment
produced from a dense lower hull and a highly buoyant upper hull. Batteries would be housed in
the lower hull to lower the center of mass while the remaining components would be situated in the
upper hull. Torpedo like structure was thought to be chosen for DANAS as torpedo shape is the
most tried and trusted shape in the field of underwater robotics. The idea which gave birth to AUV
DANAS was the idea of making a torpedo shaped AUV but without the drawbacks of a
conventional torpedo models which ultimately lead us to two hull four thruster configuration. The
primary drawbacks which we were trying to overcome were the torpedo shapes inability to hover,
its huge turning radius and stability issues, while maintaining the original plus points of optimum
speed & lowest possible drag. Due to the use of four thrusters, power consumption would be far
greater than with the torpedo design, hence the need for more batteries and space. On the other
hand, the four-thruster configuration would allow for easier modelling and control of the vehicle in
software. The frame supporting the hull and thrusters would also allow for modularity and relative
ease in attaching external devices. The primary objectives of this conceptual design were near
surface surveillance (up to 25mts depth) and capacity of sensing temperature, Conductivity
(salinity) and providing visual information at a specified depth.

Registeration & Commencement of Project

Literature Review

Preperation of PDR

Preperation of CDR

Fabrication of Physical Model

Testing ,Validation of Model and Fine Tuning

Presentation at NIOT,Chennai.

Participation at International Event at San Diago

Fig: 3 Various Stages in SAVe-17 for DANAS

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1. Design Particulars
The proposed hydrodynamic form of this AUV minimizes the propulsion energy requirement, as
well as better stability and maneuverability ay various operating speed.

A hull form may also impose limitations on vehicle access, launch and recovery, and
maintenance. Specifically the following considerations are important in selecting a hull form.

a) Minimization of overall drag.

b) Minimization of flow separation.
c) Stability of the sensor platform at nominal forward speed
d) Stability and maneuverability at lower speeds of the order 1m/s.

1.1 Choosing the final design

A two-hull, four-thruster configuration, was chosen for the final design because of its significant
advantages over the other proposed designs. The two-hull, four-thruster design provided the
following:
Ease in machining and construction due to its simple structure
Relative ease in ensuring watertight integrity because of the lack of rotating
mechanical devices such as bow planes and rudders.
Substantial internal space owing to the existence of two hulls
High modularity due to the relative ease with which components can be attached to
the skeletal frame
Cost-effectiveness because of the availability and use of common materials and
components
Relative ease foreseen in software control implementation in using a four thruster
configuration when compared to using a ballast tank and one thruster system

1.2 Mechanical system design

The mechanical system of the DANAS has to fulfill the following main objectives:
To provide a dry, watertight hull that facilitates the housing of onboard electronic
components and that is capable of surviving in a saltwater environment
To provide a static and dynamically stable vehicle with suitable versatility in its motion to
accomplish a wide range of tasks
To possess the ability to be modular and extensible for future missions
To facilitate easy resurfacing and recovery of the hull assembly in the event of any failure.

The Design particulars of DANAS were finalized as given below.

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SPECIFICATIONS OF THE BODY DIMENSIONS (cm)

Length Overall (with frame and outer equipment) 126

Length of pressure vessel 68

Inside Diameter of pressure vessel 22.8

Outside Diameter of pressure vessel 26

Overall height 47

Plate thickness 1

Table 1: Vessel Particulars of DANAS

A three dimensional model of this proposed AUV was developed in the modelling software
CREO isometric inhouse in our department.A priliminary volume calculation and stability
analysis was carried out in this software and results were noted. Figure 3 and 4 below sho
various views of DANAS

Figure 3 .The model of AUV DANAS developed in Creo -Isometric

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Figure 4. The model of AUV DANAS developed in Creo Front view

2. Weight Estimation

It includes
The hull (dependent on the material density)
The navigational components
Sensory equipment
Electrical hardware and circuitry
The hull weight was calculated after finding out the models volume of displacement in CREO. This
was later multiplied with material density to arrive at the approximate weight of the hull. The
detailed weight calculation is as given below.

Figure 5: Volume calculation done in CREO

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Weight Specification Weight (in gm)

Arduino Mega 2560(processing device) 37 g
Raspberry Pi Gen 2(processing device) 45g
Bluerobotics T100 *(thrusters) 1180g
CH Robotics UM7 (orientation sensor) 3.5 g
Temperature Sensor (DS18B20 SENSOR) 60 g
Water Leak Detector 3g
Ultrasonic Sensors 10g
Doppler Velocity Log 250g
Pressure Sensor (MS5803-14BA) 15g
Electronic Speed Controllers 26.5g
Camera 231 g
Hull material (acrylic) ( 3210.63 cc) 3793g

Battery * 3(12V 12ah Exide SMF UPS) 12000g

Frame 2000g
Marker Dropper 500g
Total weight 20154g

Table 2: Weight Estimation for DANAS

3. Preliminary Stability Analysis

Stability of underwater vehicles obeys different physical laws compared to surface floating
platforms. When a body is completely immersed in a liquid, its stability depends on the relative
positions of the centre of gravity of the body and the centroid of the displaced volume of fluid,
which is called the centre of buoyancy. The position of Centre of gravity and Centre of buoyancy in
case of a completely sub-merged are fixed.

The magnitude of the buoyant force, B, exerted on a body, floating or submerged, is equal to the
weight of the volume of water displaced by that body. The ability of an object to float depends on
whether or not the magnitude of the weight of the body, W, is greater than the buoyant force.
Clearly, if B > W, then the body will float, while if B < W it will sink. If B and W equate, then the
body remains where it is.

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Figure 6. Effects of buoyancy and weight on an underwater body

3.1 Three types of buoyancy

1) Positive buoyancy (buoyancy > weight)
2) Neutral buoyancy (buoyancy = weight)
3) Negative buoyancy (buoyancy < weight)

The type of buoyancy we are applying in our AUV is positive Buoyancy. That is the
weight is less than the buoyancy.
3.2 Scope of future development in fail-safe mechanism
Water leak detector is used in the AUV DANAS as it constantly monitors the internal environment
for any hull breach. Once it detects any hull breach, all mission objectives are aborted and upward
thrusters are given full thrust. Also all other system is shut down immediately. Since the body is
stable originally shutting down of other system dont cause any stability change. So there is power
monitoring system which monitors the output from battery. This system is designed such that it is
given a safe voltage level for smooth working of AUV. Once the voltage level goes down below the
safe value, the mission is aborted and thrusters are given full thrust to surface. Implementation of
other system for safety against failure will be modified as AUV is developed.

4. Basic vehicle frame design and material selection criteria

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The AUV DANAS uses a frame which is made of Aluminum. In order to hold the two hulls in place
on the frame machined Aluminum straps were planned to use which can be welded on to the
frame. The frame designed is as shown below

Fig 7: Frame for AUV DANAS made in CREO

4.1 Frame design criteria

1) Easy addition and removal of main hull and external equipment within the frame.
2) Ease of fastening equipment
3) Helps in dismantling the AUV as the entire frame with the equipment can be detached from the
AUV.
4) The material used for frame used is aluminum

4.1.1 Features of the Pressure hull

The upper and lower hulls were made from acrylic tubing utilizing threaded end caps
In order to position the three batteries in the lower hull, an aluminum rack was made
to hold the batteries together. Supports were attached inside the tube to prevent the bank of
batteries moving from side to side.
4.2 Material selection criteria
There were several requirements for the materials to be used in the construction of the vehicle.
Firstly, the materials had to be considerate to the overall weight of the vehicle. Materials also had
to be corrosion resistant as they would be subjected to a harsh saltwater environment. Durability
was also needed from the materials as the vehicle was being designed for several years of use.
Furthermore, materials had to be inexpensive and easily machine able. Since the vehicle was not
going to be subjected to more than 30m of depth, the materials chosen have to withstand
significant amounts of pressure.

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Acrylic material was chosen due to its property of corrosion resistant, light weight and high
strength.

General Al-7000 series FRP ACRLYIC

properties
Ultimate Tensile 572 MPa 1000-1400 MPa 70 MPa
Strength
Tensile Yield 503 MPa N/A N/A
Strength
Modulus of Elasticity 71.7 GPa 45-56 GPa 3.3 GPa
Shear Modulus 26.9 GPa 3.5-4.8 GPa N/A
Shear strength 331MPa 100 MPa 62 MPa
Density 2800 kg/m3 2100 Kg/m3 1180 kg/m3

Table 3 Material Specifications:

5. Component placement and weight distribution

For our AUV modularity of the shape has been given primary importance. The idea is to start with
a hull form which can be expanded fairly easily as the mission requirement and consequently the
instrumentation leading to larger volume requirements. Cylindrical shapes are also easier to
construct and are structurally efficient.
Other advantages of this shape include:
a) Better directional stability at low speed
b) Easier launching and retrieval

6. CG and CB calculation
Assuming no water movement, the stability of a static body underwater is predominantly affected
by the positions of the centers of gravity, CG, and buoyancy, CB. The center of buoyancy is the
centroid of the volumetric displacement of the body. If CG and CB are not aligned vertically with
each other in either the longitudinal or lateral directions, then instability will exist due to the
creation of a nonzero moment.
The calculated value of center of gravity in the reference axis is as shown below

CGx = 1.25cm to the aft of midpoint

CGy = .69 cm from center line

CGz = 1.6 cm from center line

The CG in the longitudinal direction CGx is 1.25 cm from the aft of midpoint. So it creates a trim.
The location of CB is such as that it should coincide with CG.

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Fig8. Shows the conditions of attaining stability

7. Drag calculation and Coefficient of drag

From the simple perspective of drag reduction a form that promotes laminar flow within the
boundary layer is the best choice. In laminar flow fluid particles move in layers and skin friction
drag is much lower than in turbulent flow where fluid particles move erratically resulting in high
shear stresses between layers. To sustain laminar flow a hull can be designed such that the
diameter increases gradually from the nose to create a favorable pressure gradient over the
forward 60-70% of the hull. In this area the surface has to be smooth and as hydro dynamically
clean as possible. Skin friction and form drag contribute to the overall vehicle drag. Friction drag
varies with speed and exposed surface area so smaller hulls with smaller surface area have less
friction drag form drag is a function of how well the hull shape minimizes the flow separation. This
component of drag therefore depends upon the shape of the hull.
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7.1 Pressure drag and Coefficient of drag

The drag coefficient is defined as:

Where:

Is the drag force, which is by definition the force component in the direction of the flow
velocity.
Is the mass density of the fluid?

Is the flow speed of the object relative to the fluid.

Is the reference area.

Cd for rectangular block = 1.2(standard value)

Cd for cylindrical surface = 0.82(standard value)
Therefore total drag value = 2.02
Area normal to the flow: 3.14*R2 = 3.14*(0.01142) = 0.04080 m2
= 1025 kg/m3
V= 1 m/s (design speed)
Therefore substituting the above values in the given equation gives us,
Fd = 42.24 N

8. Velocity
The design speed we have decided for our AUV is 1m/s.

9. Power budget and type of battery

Power used by sensors, actuators and processing units

Component Power required

Processing unit 10W
AHRS .25 W
Temperature sensor .1 W
Water leak detector .1 W
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Flasher 8W
Ultrasonic Sensor .3 W
DVL 12 W
Pressure Sensor .05 W
Total 30.8 W

Table 4 Sensor Power budget

The battery used in DANAS was chosen after taking into consideration the Power requirements of
the AUV and also the Energy density of various batteries available.Li-ion and Li-Polymer has high
Energy density but couldnt meet the requirements of AUV.So Lead Acid battery was chosen as it
meets all the requirements of the AUV including cost.Though it was heavy ,the AUV was designed
by assuming the expected weight.

Two 12V,12Ah lead acid battery power the 4 thrusters.One 12 V,12 Ah lead acid battery powers all
the sensors. The voltage is stepped down using voltage regulators before supplying to the sensors
.The voltage regulator ICs are used for this.

COMPARISON OF BATTERIES
Wh/Kg
160

130
120

80 80

50

NiC d NiMH Le a d Ac i d Li-ion Re u s a b l e a l ka l i n e L i - Po l ym e r

Figure 9: Battery Comparison

10. Navigational System

DANAS utilizes Dead Reckoning for Navigation coupled with Inertial Measurements.
Dead reckoning is the process of estimating a global position of a vehicle by advancing a known
position using course, speed, time and distance to be travelled. When inertial measurements such
as acceleration and angular velocity are used to calculate the position, it is termed as Inertial
Navigation System.
The system utilizes the vehicles last position to estimate the next position. The inertial
measurements are obtained from AHRS system. DANAS utilizes a 9-DOF freedom IMU for inertial
measurement. It consists of 3-accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis magnetometer.
Accelerometer gives value of acceleration in 3 mutually perpendicular axes. Gyroscope give
angular rates for 3 axes. Magnetometer gives more precision to the IMU by measuring the
measuring the value of magnetic field in three directions.

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Accelerometer and gyroscope reading tends to drift after a period of use. So Magnetometer
readings are readings are helpful in reducing the drift error. Even with 9 DOF, IMU still produces
drift errors.
So DANAS uses AHRS system with built in Kalman filters to cancel the drift from the IMU. The
AHRS used by DANAS is the CH robotics UM7 which is a low cost yet advanced AHRS.

Navigati Dead
AHRS on Reckoni
System ng

Fig 10. Navigation System flowchart

For the Navigation to work properly, a suite of sensors are required. DANASutilizes mainly
ultrasonic range detector and imaged based detector to find the obstacles and update the plan
according to the mission.
Ultrasonic sensors help to gather basic obstacle detection whereas visual based detection helps to
identify each mission objects and take decision comparing the proposed trajectory.
The system utilizes extensive programming approach to take decision accommodating data inputs
from AHRS, Ultrasonic range sensors and imaged based sensors.

Dead Ultrasoni
Reckonin IMU c
g sensors

Navigati
Image
on
sensors
System
Fig 11: Navigation System

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11. Sensors

11.1 ALTITUDE AND HEADING REFERENCE SYSTEM

CH Robotics UM7

The UM7 orientation sensor from CH Robotics is an Attitude and Heading Reference System
(AHRS) that contains a three-axis accelerometer, rate gyro, and magnetometer. It combines this
data using an Extended Kalman Filter to produce attitude and heading estimates.

The UM7 orientation sensor produces attitude and heading estimates from triaxial accelerometer,
rate gyro, and magnetometer data. Unlike a typical inertial measurement unit (IMU), which only
provides raw sensor readings, the UM7 features an on-board microcontroller that combines sensor
data using a sophisticated Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to generate orientation estimates 500
times a second.

Fig 12. UM7 orientation sensor.

UM7 takes advantage of newer MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) technology. As a result

it offers precise data thus allowing better control of the AUV. The UM7 is one of the cheapest
AHRS to include all these features at a much lesser cost and allows us to bring down
manufacturing cost of the AUV.

Connections for power and TTL serial communication can be made to the UM7 through a
polarized five-pin male connector on one side, which mates with an included cable assembly. A
pair of six-pin expansion headers on the other side of the board provide additional connectivity
options, including an alternative SPI interface and a secondary serial interface that can be
connected to an external GPS module .

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Features

Excellent gyro bias stability over temperature

Adjustable low-pass filter and EKF settings provide customizable performance for various
applications
States and sensor data synchronized to GPS position and velocity using optional external
GPS module
Allows for alignment calibration and third-order bias and scale factor temperature
compensation for accelerometers, gyros, and magnetometer
Dimensions:27mm x 26mm x 6.5 mm
Weight: 3.5 g
Operating voltage : 4V -5.5V
EKF estimation rate: 500 Hz
1 typical static pitch/roll accuracy
3 typical dynamic pitch/roll accuracy
3 typical static yaw accuracy
5 typical dynamic yaw accuracy
0.5 angle repeatability
0.01 angular resolution

11.2 TEMPERATURE SENSOR

DS18B20 SENSOR

Fig 13. DS18B20 Temperature sensor with waterproof probe

This is a pre-wired and waterproof version of the DS18B20 sensor. Since the cable is jacketed in
PVC it can operate in wide range of temperature as well. The digital signals do not get degraded
easily due to this enclosure. It is a 1-wire digital temperature sensor and is precise ( 0.5C over
much of the range) and can give 12 bits of precision from the on-board digital to analogue
converter. The sensor is suited to work with 3-5 Volt systems.

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Cable specifications:

Stainless steel tube 6mm diameter by 30mm long

Cable is 91cm long , 4mm diameter

Contains DS18B20 temperature sensor

DS18B20 Technical specifications:

Usable temperature range: -55 to 125C (-67F to +257F)

9 to 12 bit selectable resolution

Uses 1-Wire interface- requires only one digital pin for communication

Unique 64 bit ID burned into chip

Multiple sensors can share one pin

0.5C Accuracy from -10C to +85C

Temperature-limit alarm system

Query time is less than 750ms

Usable with 3.0V to 5.5V power/data

The sensor is cheap and reliable and can be interfaced with Raspberry Pi 2 easily. The data is
stored in the SD card and once the AUV surfaces it can be accessed .

11.3 PROPRIOCEPTIVE SENSORS

These are the sensors that are used to detect the changes in the internal environment of the AUV.
In DANAS, only water leak detectors are used as proprioceptive sensor. This is used because
AUV is most prone to water leak compared to other adversities.

11.4 WATER LEAK DETECTOR

DANAS is provided with a Water leak detector to protect it from sinking due to water leakage.
Since the vehicle is completely autonomous, there is always a possibility of sinking due to
leakage. Also if something like this happens all the electronic components will get damaged. In
order to protect it from such a worst case scenario, it is provided with water leak detector in the
bottom hull as well as top hull. Once the leak detector detects a leak, the current mission is

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aborted and upward thrusters are directed to full thrust upwards. Also an alarm is triggered from
the inside to notify the sudden rise of AUV to the surface.

The detector is cheap and is easily interfaced with Arduino Mega. The leak signals are send to
Arduino and Arduino sends it to the thrusters.

Fig 14. Water leak detector

It is mainly comprised of three parts:

An Electronic brick connector, a 1 M resistor, and several lines of bare conducting wires.
The sensor works by having a series of exposed traces connected to ground and interlaced
between the grounded traces are the sense traces. The sensor traces have a weak pull-up resistor
of 1 M. The resistor will pull the sensor trace value high until a drop of water shorts the sensor
trace to the grounded trace. It will work with the digital I/O pins of Arduino or it can be used with
the analogue pins to detect the amount of water induced contact between the grounded and
sensor traces. This High Sensitivity Water Sensor can easily change the water size to analogue
signal, and output analogue value can directly be used in the program function, then to achieve
the function of water level alarm also.

Features

Working voltage: 5V

Working Current: <20ma

Interface: Analog

Width of detector: 40mm16mm

Working Temperature: 10C~30C

Weight: 3g

Size: 65mm20mm8mm

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Low power consumption

High sensitivity

Output voltage signal: 0~4.2V

11.5 ULTRASONIC SENSORS

DANASutilizes 5 ultrasonic sensors sensor to detect the obstacles in the environment and guide
its way through the task. The sensors are placed in the forward, back, left and right end of AUV.
The sensor used is the DYP-ME007

Fig 15. Ultrasonic sensor

Specifications:
Operating Voltage: DC 5V
Operating Current: less than 15mA
Operating frequency: 40KHz
maximum range: 4.5m
recently Range: 30cm
The trigger pin: 3: Trig / RX ;
Output pin: 2: Echo / TX
Output signal: PWM signal
Response time: 100MS
Resolution: approximately 1cm
Beam angle: 80 15
Work temperature: -20-75 C
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Storage temperature: -20-80 C

Module Size: 41mm x 28mm x 1mm
Probe line length: 2.5m

The sensor is low cost as well comes with waterproofing for the oscillator from the factory itself.
This comes in handy as extra waterproofing need not be done. The sensor signal are input to the
Arduino and Arduino calculates the route for the mission accordingly avoiding the obstacles.

11.6 DOPPLER VELOCITY LOG

DANAS utilizes a mini LDV for measuring velocity as it is needed to give valuable inputs to error
correction that occurs in AHRS unit. Even though the AHRS unit have inbuilt Kalman filters the
error increases as the period of mission increases.

The LDV utilises two beams of collimated, monochromatic, and coherent laser light in the flow of
the fluid being measured. The two beams are usually obtained by splitting a single beam, thus
ensuring coherence between the two. The beam is focussed according to focal length of the optics
on the medium where velocity is to be measured. The fluid particles reflect the beam and are
detected by the detector and subsequently fringes are obtained. The intensity of reflected beams
change as speed of medium from reflection occurs change. The frequency of the variation in light
intensity is proportional to the speed of the medium.

DANAS utilises mini LDV from Measurement Science Enterprise Inc.

Fig 16. DVL

Specifications:

Weight: 250g

Dimensions: 32x165 mm
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11.7 SALINITY SENSORS

This sensor is used to find the conductivity of water. Conductivity measures the amount of salts
dissolved in water and helps to find the salt content in water. The sensor used in DANAS is the
SEN-12908.It is manufactured by Atlas Scientific Instruments.

Fig 17 Salinity Sensor

Specifications:

Measuring Surface: Platinum black coated platinum

Body material: Epoxy

Max Temperature: 0-70 Degrees C

Max PSI: 1379 kPa (200PSI)

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Conductivity readings +/- 2s/cm

Full Conductivity range :0.55 s/cm to 500,000+ s/cm

Temperature dependent or temperature independent readings

Total dissolved solids (TDS) referenced to KCL

Salinity is derived from the Practical Salinity Scale (PSS-78)

Simple RS-232 connectivity (voltage swing 0-5v)

3.3V - 5V operational voltage

11.8 PRESSURE SENSOR

Pressure sensor is used for accurate depth measurement. The sensor is calibrated to find the
depth of the AUV .The Pressure sensor used is the MS5803-14BA.

Fig 18. Pressure Sensor

Specifications:

Operating Voltage - 1.8 to 3.6 V

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Peak Supply Current - 1.4 mA

Operating Range - 0 to 14 bar

Resolution - 1 / 0.6 / 0.4 / 0.3 / 0.2 mbar

I2C and SPI Interface

Gel Protected

MS5803-14BA Pressure Sensor is a high resolution pressure sensor with both an I 2C and SPI
interface. This MEMS pressure sensor measures the absolute pressure of the fluid around it which
includes air, water, and anything else that acts like a viscous fluid. MS5803-14BA has a unique gel
membrane and antimagnetic stainless steel cap that protects against 30 bar water pressure.
The MS5803-14BA offers a resolution range of 1 / 0.6 / 0.4 / 0.3 / 0.2 mbar.

11.9 ELECTRONIC SPEED CONTROLLERS

Electronic speed controllers are essential to control the thruster output. Also they are more
suitable than other motor control devices. An electronic speed control or ESC is an electronic
circuit with the purpose to vary an electric motor's speed, its direction and possibly also to act as
a dynamic brake. These are commonly used with brushless motors essentially providing an
electronically generated three-phase electric power low voltage source of energy for the motor.

The ESC used in DANAS is the Afro 30Amp ESC. Four thrusters utilises one ESC each.

Fig 19. Electronic Speed Controller

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Specifications:

Current Draw: 30A Continuous

Voltage Range: 2-4s Li-Poly
BEC: 0.5A Linear
Input Frequency: 1 KHz
Discharge wire/plugs: 15AWG/Male 3.5mm
Motor wire/plugs: 16AWG/Female 3.5mm
Weight: 26.5g
Size: 50 x 25 x 11mm

11.10 PROCESSING UNITS

DANAS utilizes two processing devices for its computational requirements. It uses Arduino Mega
2560 as well as Raspberry Pi 2 Model B for processing data from various sensors as well to
process video. Both are highly energy efficient as well as light in weight.

11.10.1 Arduino Mega 2560

Arduino Mega 2560 is a microcontroller based on ATMega2560. It has 54 digital input/output pins
(of which 15 can be used as PWM outputs), 16 analog inputs, 4 UARTs (hardware serial ports), a
16 MHz crystal oscillator, a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button. It
can be easily powered by a USB cable while programming it and can be powered using DC power
source such as battery. The advantage of Mega2560 is that it is compatible with shields (Shields
are boards that can be plugged on top of the Arduino PCB extending its capabilities) which is low
cost board that helps to increase its functionality.
Arduino Mega 2560 specifications are shown in Table 5.
COMPONENT SPECIFICATION
Microcontroller ATmega2560
Operating Voltage 5V
Input Voltage (recommended) 7-12V
Input Voltage (limit) 6-20V
Digital I/O Pins 54 (of which 15 provide PWM output)
Analog Input Pins 16
DC Current per I/O Pin 20 mA
DC Current for 3.3V Pin 50 mA
Flash Memory 256 KB of which 8 KB used by boot loader
SRAM 8 KB
EEPROM 4 KB
Clock Speed 16 MHz
Length 101.52 mm
Width 53.3 mm
Weight 37 g
Table 5: Arduino Mega 2560 specifications
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The Mega is easily programmed using Arduino Software IDE which make it suitable for ease of
use without complications.
The Mega 2560 can be powered via the USB connection or with an external power supply. The
power source is selected automatically.
External (non-USB) power can come either from an AC-to-DC adapter (wall-wart) or battery. The
adapter can be connected by plugging a 2.1mm center-positive plug into the board's power jack.
Leads from a battery can be inserted in the GND and V in pin headers of the POWER connector.
The board can operate on an external supply of 6 to 20 volts. If supplied with less than 7V,
however, the 5V pin may supply less than five volts and the board may become unstable. If using
more than 12V, the voltage regulator may overheat and damage the board. The recommended
range is 7 to 12 volts.

Fig 20: Arduino Mega2560

11.10.2Raspberry Pi Gen 2

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Fig 21 Raspberry Pi Gen 2

Raspberry Pi Gen 2 is the update to the original Raspberry Pi which possesses more
computational power than Arduino Mega and function as a mini-computer .The use of Raspberry
Pi is to process the video captured by the camera and store it into the 64 GB SD card attached to
it. It also serves to store data from Temperature sensor and Salinity sensor and store in the SD
card which can be accessed once the AUV surfaces from water.
Specification of Raspberry Pi Gen 2.

SoC: Broadcom BCM2836 (CPU, GPU, DSP, SDRAM)

CPU: 900 MHz quad-core ARM Cortex A7 (ARMv7 instruction set)

GPU: Broadcom Video Core IV @ 250 MHz

More GPU info: OpenGL ES 2.0 (24 GFLOPS); 1080p30 MPEG-2 and VC-1 decoder (with
license); 1080p30 h.264/MPEG-4 AVC high-profile decoder and encoder

Memory: 1 GB (shared with GPU)

USB ports: 4

Video input: 15-pin MIPI camera interface (CSI) connector

Video outputs: HDMI, composite video (PAL and NTSC) via 3.5 mm jack

Audio input: IS

Audio outputs: Analog via 3.5 mm jack; digital via HDMI and IS
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Storage: Micro SD

Network: 10/100Mbps Ethernet

Peripherals: 17 GPIO plus specific functions, and HAT ID bus

Power rating: 800 mA (4.0 W)

Power source: 5 V via Micro USB or GPIO header

Size: 85.60mm 56.5mm

Weight: 45g

11.11 Thrusters
BLUEROBOTICS T100

Fig 22 Thruster T100

The T100 is a thruster designed specifically for marine robotics.It is high performing and
durable.The T100 is basically a brushless electric motor .The T100 is made of high-strength, UV
resistant polycarbonate injection molded plastic. The core of the motor is sealed and protected
with an epoxy coating and it uses high-performance plastic bearings in place of steel bearings
that rust in saltwater. Everything that isnt plastic is either aluminum or high-quality stainless steel
that doesnt corrode. A specially designed propeller and nozzle provides efficient,
powerful thrust while active water-cooling keeps the motor cool. Unlike other thrusters, our design
doesnt have any air- or oil-filled cavities water flows freely through all parts of the motor while
its running and can handle extreme pressures. The T100 comes with clockwise and counter-
clockwise propellers to counter torque

Maximum thrust forward 2.36 kgf

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Maximum thrust reverse 1.82 kgf

Minimum thrust .01 kgf

Rotational speed 300-4200 rev/min

Operating voltage 12 V

Maximum current 11.5 amp

Maximum power 130 watts

Length 102 mm

Diameter 94 mm

Weight in Air 295 g

Table 6: Specifications of thruster

Performance chart

Fig 23 Motor Power v/s Current v/s Thrust

The DANAS utilises 4 thruster for controlling its 4 degrees of motion:Heave,Surge,Yaw and
Pitch.The two thrusters are placed each on port and starboard side and other two in front and
back.Their coordinated motion results in the 4 degrees of motion.The thrusters being specifically
designed for underwater robotic application is more energy efficient.

12. Endurance and Range of AUV Coverage

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The endurance of AUV DANAS is assumed to be 1 hour

RANGE OF AUV COVERAGE

The missions AUV can undertake are so vast that it is impossible to list all the possible
applications.Some important applicarions are listed here .

i. CONDUCTING SURVEY
Man has been exploring land which is about 30% of the earth since time immemorial.But
we havent explored ocean even upto 10% completely.This is because it is much difficult to
explore oceans compared to land .Many parts of ocean are kilometers deep and humans
cannot access these areas without external aid.It is in this scenario that we started to use
ROV and similar technologies to conduct explorations.But AUV has opened a new chapter
in the field of ocean exploration.
Now we are able to conduct survey easily without any human aid once we preprogramme
the trajectory and mission task to AUV.The AUV can collect as many details with the help of
sensors in it.Some of the survey applications.
Bathymetric survey
Pipelaying survey
Geographic survey

ii. RESEARCH
A variety of sensors can be affixed to AUVs to measure the concentration of various
elements or compounds, the absorption or reflection of light, and the presence of
microscopic life. Additionally, AUVs can be configured as tow-vehicles to deliver customized
sensor packages to specific locations.

II. Fig 24.Oxygen and temperature data collected by the AUV.

III.
IV. MILITARY APPLICATIONS
Top military agencies utilize AUV to conduct many activities for military purpose. The AUV
are specially designed to operate according to their requirements. Some of them are listed
below. Some of the AUVs are even designed to operate in stealth mode as well as keep a
low sound profile.
Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance

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Mine countermeasures
Anti-submarine warfare
Inspection/identification
Oceanography
Communication/navigation network nodes
Payload delivery
Information operations
Time-critical strike

V. AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION

There are AUVs designed specifically to sweep the ocean bed for air crash debris and
locate the crash.

VI. STATION KEEPING

At busy ports and docks, vessels require monitoring during their entrance and departure
from the port. The terrain underneath them is the primary concern as they cannot be
properly sensed by the transponder. Hence, at times like these, the AUV can assist in
maneuvering these vessels.
Mapping AUV is a torpedo-shaped vehicle equipped with four mapping sonars that operate
simultaneously during a mission. The sonars are a swath multi beam sonar, two side-scan
sonars, and a sub-bottom profiler. The multi-beam sonar produces high-resolution
bathymetry (analogous to topography on land), the side-scan sonars produce imagery
based on the intensity of the sound energys reflections, and the sub-bottom profiler
penetrates sediments on the seafloor, allowing the detection of layers within the sediments,
faults, and depth to the basement rock. All components are rated to 6,000 meters depth .

Fig 25 :Seafloor mapping AUV

13. Type of Controller& Controller Algorithm

Autonomous underwater vehicles are subjected to various forces underwater.So controlling
becomes a difficult task without human intervention.But autonomous vehicles should have
intelligence to cope up with uncertainities.For autonomous vehiles deplyed in oceans,fuzzy logic
and neural networks are used to design the control system.But for an AUV deployed in a
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swimming pool, many dynamic forces can be eliminated and forces are predictable.So PID logic is
used to design the control system.PID stands for Proportional-Integral-Derivative control system
which is a closed loop control sysytem.The general layout of PID is shown in figure given below.

Fig 26. PID layout

The closed control sysytem consists of three algorithms for control.They are P,I and D
respectively.P depends on the present errot,I on the accumulation of past error and D on the
prediction of future errors based on current rate of change.

To control the sysytem,the output is taken and passes through a feedback loop to produce error
signals.This is taken as input to the system and output I generated.The input from the sensors are
highly required to control the system.

In a PID,there are three coefficients that can be altered to tune the sysytem for stability .They are

Proportional Gain Coefficient (Kp)

Integral Gain Coefficient (Ki)
Derivative Gain Coefficient (Kd)

Fig 27. PID controller and plant

In a PID controller circuit,the error signal(e) is input to the controller .The controller computes both
the derivative and integral of the error signal.The control signal(u) is shown in picture below.

Fig 28 Output signal from controller

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It is equal to Kp times error signal +Ki times intergral of the error signal +Kd times the derivative of
the error signal.

The output will be then analysed by the feedback circuit and compared with desired result and
error is produced again.This loop is repeated .

The output will only rise slowly to the desired value.The time for rise of output to desired value is
called Rise Time.The output value may be above the desired value and is called Overshoot.The
time for signal to return to desired value is called Settling Time.And finally the output may not be
the desired value.So the difference between the final output and the desired value is called the
Steady State error.

So a PID system must be tuned by changing the three coefficients Kp,Kd and Ki.The table below
shows the changes of these parameters with change in the coefficients.

Parameter Rise Time Overshoot Settling time Steady Stability

State error

Kp Decrease Increase Small change Decrease Degrade

Ki Decrease Increase Increase Eliminate Degrade

Kd Minor Decrease Decrease No effect in Improve if

Change theory Kd is small

Table 7 Gain coefficients and change in parameters

DANAS also utilises PID control system as it is subjected to less dynamic forces in the pool.The
PID coefficients are tuned until desired output is obtained.

14. MANOEUVRABILITY
DANAS has four degrees of motion.Heave ,Surge,Yaw and Pitch.Each degree of motion is
controlled with the help of thrusters.The thrusters are placed at the front ,back,starboard and port
side of the AUV.The AUV is desinged to have independent degree of motion control ie,at a time
only one degree of motion is possible.This is advantageous as system control becomes simple
and also easy processing of sensor inputs are possible.

The Roll and Sway is avoided.This makes the system less complex.

Heave :It is controlled by combined action of thrusters at the front and back end.The
thrusters are designed to be be providing thrust in downward direction under normal
working condtion since the AUV is positively buoyant .When the AUV need immediate
upward motion the thrusters are given opposite thrust.
Surge:The forward and Backward motion of AUV is controlled by the thrusters at the sides.
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Yaw:This degree of motion occurs due to action of thrusters at the starboard and port side
rotating in the opposite direction depending upon the direction of sway

Pitch: The pitch motion also occur similar to the sway motion with the difference that
thrusters at the front and back end provide thrust in mutually opposite direction to obtain
this degree of motion.

15. Obstacle avoidance

DANAS utilises four ultrasonic sensor to detect obstacles in the path and avoid it.Also it works
along with with predefined trajectory .The trajectory is designed with autonomy using system
sensors.The sensors are able to detect obstacle upto 3m range.Also they can identify obstacles of
dimension around 2 inch at the farthest possible range.

The vision system helps to detect the various obstacles as well and make the path according to
the mission requirements.The data is sent to the controller and it produces necessary signals to
produce required output through thrusters.Also the data from AHRS system is also coupled during
the calculation.

Vision
system

Obstacl
e
detecti
Ultraso
nic
on
system
system

Obstacle
Obstacle
detection Controlle
avoidanc
system r
e
Fig 29. Obstacle avoidance flowchart

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16. Camera based Imaging with Lights

The camera module is essential for image processing in the AUV. It helps to determine the
obstacle as video is processed by the processor for finding the obstacles. The camera used is the
Logitech C920 HD Pro Webcam. It is kept at the front of the AUV and detects the obstacles using
the image processing .The camera has a widescreen view and autofocus capabilities to capture
the image.

Fig 30. Logitech C920 Pro

The camera is assisted with custom build LED Flasher for poor lighting conditions under the water.
The LED flasher will be custom built according to the need and positioning in the AUV. The custom
LED Flasher will be cheaper comparing to professional flashers available on the market and also
energy efficient.

The video from the camera will be downgraded according to the processing power. The camera
will be powered from the USB port of the mini PC and flasher will be powered externally.

17. Launch and recovery

DANAS is fitted with a RF system to trigger both launch and recovery once it surfaces after
mission.Also it include a Wifi system to retrieve data using a Wifi module.These systems work
once the AUV is on the surface of the water as both Wifi and RF signals get attenuated easily in
water.

18. Special features

DANAS is fitted with a marker dropper system as part of the competition.It has avoided torpedo
lauching system as it has more complex nature than a marker dropper sysytem.The following
images show the marker dropper system.

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Fig 31. Marker dropper with marker

20. Conclusion
From the above study and data collection we have come up with a conceptual design report for
the AUV DANAS.

21. References
[1] O. Xu. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), Report, The University of Western Australia,
2004.
[2] Blue robotics www.bluerobotics.com
[3]Electronics and sensor design of an autonomous underwater vehicle by Michael Drtil
[4]Design, modelling and control of an autonomous underwater vehicle by Louis Andrew
Gonzalez.
[5] Arduino Playground-Ultrasonic Sensors. http://playground.arduino.cc/Main/UltrasonicSensor.
[6] OpenCV Archives Available: https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/tag/opencv/
[7]Feedback Systems: An Introduction for Engineers and Scientists by Karl Johan Astrom and
Richard M. Murray
[8] Path Planning for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles by Clement Petr`es, Yan Pailhas et al.

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[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]

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