Multi-Site Visiting Strategy for the Blended-Wing-Body Underwater Glider Cluster in Three-Dimensional Time-Varying Ocean Currents

As a new type of underwater vehicle, the blended-wing-body underwater glider (BWBUG) has been widely used in various fields in recent years. This paper examines the issue of multi-site visit for the BWBUG cluster in complex ocean environments. First, the specific task requirements and ocean environment model are defined. Secondly, combined with the task characteristics, a multi-site visit planning framework is proposed. The framework is comprised of two distinct layers, the front and the back, which are responsible for the planning of disparate content. Then, inspired by the survival habits of polar bears, the Arctic Survival Heuristic Algorithm (ASHA) is proposed. Finally, the simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method is capable of devising a viable visiting route for the BWBUG cluster while adhering to the principle of minimum energy consumption. The present study offers a theoretical foundation for the implementation of BWBUGs in the domain of task planning.