A Highly Robust Terrain-Aided Navigation Framework Based on an Improved Marine Predators Algorithm and Depth-First Search

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have obtained extensive application in the exploitation of marine resources. Terrain-aided navigation (TAN), as an accurate and reliable autonomous navigation method, is commonly used for AUV navigation. However, its accuracy degrades significantly in self-similar terrain features or measurement uncertainties. To overcome these challenges, we propose a novel terrain-aided navigation framework integrating an Improved Marine Predators Algorithm with Depth-First Search optimization (DFS-IMPA-TAN). This framework maintains positioning precision in partially self-similar terrains through two synergistic mechanisms: (1) IMPA-driven optimization based on the hunger-inspired adaptive exploitation to determine optimal trajectory transformations, cascaded with Kalman filtering for navigation state correction; (2) a Robust Tree (RT) hypothesis manager that maintains potential trajectory candidates in graph-structured memory, employing Depth-First Search for ambiguity resolution in feature matching. Experimental validation through simulations and in-vehicle testing demonstrates the framework’s distinctive advantages: (1) consistent terrain association in partially self-similar topographies; (2) inherent error resilience against ambiguous feature measurements; and (3) long-term navigation stability. In all experimental groups, the root mean squared error of the framework remained around 60 m. Under adverse conditions, its navigation accuracy improved by over 30% compared to other traditional batch processing TAN methods. Comparative analysis confirms superior performance over conventional methods under challenging conditions, establishing DFS-IMPA-TAN as a robust navigation solution for AUVs in complex underwater environments.