Correction of DVL Error Caused by Seafloor Gradient

A Doppler velocity log (DVL) provides a three-dimensional representation of the velocity of an underwater vehicle to the vehicle’s DVL-aided inertial navigation system (INS). It is a key element in determining the precision of the INS. This paper presents an algorithm for reducing the error in the DVL as a way of improving the navigation of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). We also investigate and analyze the effect that the seafloor’s deviations have on DVL measurement error. Finally, the performance of the proposed algorithm is examined through both AUV simulation and experimentally. The results show that the proposed technique can indeed effectively correct DVL errors.