Gaze-Assisted Prescribed Performance Controller for AUV Trajectory Tracking in Time-Varying Currents

Trajectory tracking for underactuated autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is challenging due to coupling dynamics, modeling inaccuracies, and unknown disturbances. To tackle this, we propose a decoupling gaze-assisted prescribed performance controller (GAPPC). We first use an error transformation approach to achieve the prescribed performance, incorporating the line-of-sight (LOS) algorithm and an event-triggering mechanism to handle the kinematic characteristics of underactuated AUVs. Next, we develop a control strategy for the transformed error that does not require knowledge of the model parameters, including fast dynamic compensation to reduce steady-state errors. Finally, we analyze the controller’s stability and present simulation results. Simulations, which account for modeling inaccuracies and unknown ocean currents, show that the GAPPC improves stability errors by 67.3% compared to the adaptive robust controller.