Research on Underwater Acoustic Navigation and Positioning Method Based on Single Beacon

Due to the strong attenuation effect of electromagnetic wave propagation in water, GNSS cannot be used underwater. The underwater acoustic navigation methods based on long baseline (LBL), short baseline (SBL) and ultra-short baseline (USBL) have some problems, such as low efficiency, long deployment time, and complex operation. In this study, we propose a method of underwater acoustic navigation and positioning based on single beacon, construct Underwater Positioning Based on Single Beacon System (UPBSBS), and verify its accuracy through experimental test. It is proved that the new method of underwater positioning based on the underwater acoustic broadcast signal transmitted by a single beacon is feasible, it can simplify the structure of the positioning system, reduce the frequency and quantity of beacon calibration and recovery cost, improve the utilization efficiency of beacon nodes, and the positioning accuracy can reach 26.54% of the slope distance.