Integration Filter for APS, DVL, IMU and Pressure Gauge for Underwater Vehicles

High-accuracy underwater navigation is important in order to automate motion control of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). An observer that estimates the vehicle states (position, velocity, attitude and turn rates) is proposed for closed-loop control. Measurements from an acoustic positioning system (APS), a Doppler velocity log (DVL), an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a pressure gauge (PG) are used in the proposed observer. The observer is divided into an attitude observer and a translational motion observer with interconnections. The attitude observer is an explicit complementary filter (ECF). Results from simulation are presented.