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dc.contributor.advisorPierre F.J. Lermusiaux.en_US
dc.contributor.authorYiğit, Konuralpen_US
dc.contributor.otherMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2011-12-19T19:00:13Z
dc.date.available2011-12-19T19:00:13Z
dc.date.copyright2011en_US
dc.date.issued2011en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67807
dc.descriptionThesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2011.en_US
dc.descriptionCataloged from PDF version of thesis.en_US
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (p. 75-81).en_US
dc.description.abstractFrom naval operations to ocean science missions, the importance of autonomous vehicles is increasing with the advances in underwater robotics technology. Due to the dynamic and intermittent underwater environment and the physical limitations of autonomous underwater vehicles, feasible and optimal path planning is crucial for autonomous underwater operations. The objective of this thesis is to develop and demonstrate an efficient underwater path planning algorithm based on the level set method. Specifically, the goal is to compute the paths of autonomous vehicles which minimize travel time in the presence of ocean currents. The approach is to either utilize or avoid any type of ocean flows, while allowing for currents that are much larger than the nominal vehicle speed and for three-dimensional currents which vary with time. Existing path planning methods for the fields of ocean science and robotics are first reviewed, and the advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed. The underpinnings of the level set and fast marching methods are then reviewed, including their new extension and application to underwater path planning. Finally, a new feasible and optimal time-dependent underwater path planning algorithm is derived and presented. In order to demonstrate the capabilities of the algorithm, a set of idealized test-cases of increasing complexity are first presented and discussed. A real three-dimensional path planning example, involving strong current conditions, is also illustrated. This example utilizes four-dimensional ocean flows from a realistic ocean prediction system which simulate the ocean response to the passage of a tropical storm in the Middle Atlantic Bight region.en_US
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityby Konuralp Yiğit.en_US
dc.format.extent81 p.en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherMassachusetts Institute of Technologyen_US
dc.rightsM.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.en_US
dc.rights.urihttp://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582en_US
dc.subjectMechanical Engineering.en_US
dc.titlePath planning methods for Autonomous Underwater Vehiclesen_US
dc.title.alternativePath planning methods for AUVsen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.description.degreeS.M.en_US
dc.contributor.departmentMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
dc.identifier.oclc767834827en_US


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