Three-Dimensional Obstacle Avoidance for Autonomous Underwater Robot

Obstacle avoidance in the 3-D region for an underwater robot such as autonomous underwater vehicle is still a difficult research topic. A novel 3-D obstacle avoidance algorithm for an autonomous underwater robot with a sphere cross section method is discussed in this letter. The proposed mechanism utilizes a Dubins-like curve to design a continuous path in a 3-D underwater region while adjusting its heading angle with coordinate system rotation and sphere cross section methods if there is one convex polygon obstacle along the designed trajectory. Numerical simulation results verify that the proposed algorithm can avoid obstacles while maintaining a continuous and smooth cruising trajectory.