| Small scale unmanned underwater vehicles provide an opportunity to safely and efficiently complete tasks such as boat hull inspection and subsea development survey. These Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) can be made more efficient if navigating underwater autonomously. This requires the development of highly accurate navigation and control algorithms, which, in turn, require a high-fidelity dynamic model of the vehicle based on first principles and validated by empirical data.;In this thesis, a simulation of a dynamics model for a commercially available ROV is developed. Empirical data from open-loop testing is used to generate a second-order transfer function using system identification to validate the simulation model. The transient response characteristics of the experimentally generated transfer function are then utilized to fine-tune the physical parameters in the simulation model. Finally, autopilot systems are designed using classical control theory to enable autonomous control over the attitudes and depth of the underwater vehicle. |
