A Technique to Navigate Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Using a Virtual Coordinate Reference Network during Inspection of Industrial Subsea Structures

Industrial subsea infrastructure inspections using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) require high accuracy of AUV navigation relative to the objects being examined. In addition traditional tools with inertial systems and acoustic equipment, technologies video information processing are also actively developed today. The visual odometry-based techniques can provide higher for local maneuvering at short distances objects. However, in case long-distance movements, such typically accumulate errors when calculating movement trajectory. this regard, present article considers a technique that allows increasing movements coordinate space object inspected by virtual reference network. Another aspect method proposed is minimize computational costs moving along inspection trajectory referencing coordinates pre-calculated recognition algorithm. Thus, use network points aimed maintain required coordination during trajectory, while minimizing costs.