Model reference adaptive autopilot with anti-windup compensator for an autonomous underwater vehicle: Design and hardware in the loop implementation results

In this paper, a novel model reference adaptive controller with anti-windup compensator (MRAC_AW) is proposed for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Input saturations and parametric uncertainties are among the practical problems in the control of autonomous vehicles. Hence, utilizing a proper adaptive controller with the ability to handle actuator saturations is of a particular value. The proposed technique of this paper incorporates the well-posed model reference adaptive control with integral state feedback and a modern anti-windup scheme to present an appropriate performance in practical conditions of an AUV. Stability of the proposed method is analyzed by Lyapunov theory. Then, the proposed controller is implemented in the hardware in the loop simulation of AUV. For this purpose, the introduced method is implemented in an onboard computer to be checked in a real-time dynamic simulation environment. Obtained results in the presence of real hardware of system, actuators, computational delays and real-time execution verify the effectiveness of proposed scheme.