A study on path planning of long-voyage underwater glider in complex ocean environment

The underwater glider (UG) is a cost-effective and high-endurance autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) for marine research. Powered by buoyancy adjustment, UGs are sensitive to ocean currents and must navigate through complex seabed topography. This study proposes an improved path-planning algorithm for UGs by integrating the Voronoi diagram and the D* algorithm (UG-VD*). Compared to traditional D* algorithms, UG-VD* generates shorter paths, uses favorable currents to enhance efficiency, and avoids obstacles, ensuring better safety performance. The Petrel-L completed a successful sea trial from the Mariana Trench to the northern South China Sea, covering 5506 km and navigating complex terrains, such as the Luzon Strait and the Kuroshio Current using the UG-VD* algorithm. The algorithm’s effectiveness and safety were evaluated using the sea trial data. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm can be applied to other marine environments for the path planning of UGs.