This paper describes our on-going development of SubjuGator, an
autonomous underwater vehicle designed with an emphasis on mobility
and agility. SubjuGator recently competed in the 1999 Autonomous
Underwater Vehicle Competition in Panama City, Florida, sponsored
jointly by the Office Of Naval Research and AUVSI, and earned second
place in that competition. Designed and built by a team of
undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Florida,
SubjuGator is intended for shallow water operation (30 feet). Its
small size (1.2m long x 1m wide x .7m high) and tight turning radius
ensures high maneuverability. Two motors oriented horizontally provide
forward/backward thrust and differential turning, while two other
motors, oriented vertically provide ascent/descent and pitch. Buoyancy
is controlled using two solenoids which regulate the amount of ballast
in the buoyancy compensator located around the electronics
compartment; therefore, we do not require motor propulsion for neutral
buoyancy or surfacing. On-board sensors include a phased-array,
horizontal-scanning sonar, pressure sensor, digital compass, fluidic
inclinometer, and a depth sounder. In this paper, we first describe
the mechanical and electronic design of SubjuGator. We then discuss
the on-board software architecture. Finally, we report results from
the ONR/AUVSI competition, and discuss plans for future work and
improvements.
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