Advancements in the field of autonomous underwater vehicle

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are robotic devices with a propulsion system for navigation and an onboard computer for decision making. AUV research is gaining popularity because of its extensive applications in fields from military to science. Robotic systems are need of the hour for exploration and environmental safety of the vast and deep oceans and water bodies. This paper presents current research trends in the field of AUVs and highlights future research directions. Here localization and navigation techniques such as inertial navigation to simultaneous localization and mapping being used in current AUVs are discussed in detail. Different optimal path planning and control methods are highlighted. Use of different sensor technology like sonar, laser, acoustic modems and stereo vision systems for localization, navigation and mapping is presented. Recent developments in underwater wireless communication along with the commercially available devices are discussed.