Unmanned Underwater Vehicles: Applications and Challenges

Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) are widely used for scientific, commercial, and military underwater applications, some of which require accurate positioning and path control. Modeling, system identification, and control of these vehicles are still primary areas of research and development. They pose severe challenges due to their complex design, inherently nonlinear, and time-varying dynamics. This study aims to present a comprehensive survey of the literature discussing the classification and importance of underwater vehicle systems related to cost-effectiveness and versatility. Using UUVs in military, commercial, and civilian areas has led to tolerable results. These include but are not limited to, oil and gas industries, ocean seafloor mapping, hydrothermal vent studies, air crash investigations, mine countermeasures, and information operations. Because of the vehicles’ complex, inherently nonlinear and time-varying dynamics, UUV modeling, system identification, and control remain essential areas of study and development. A presented comprehensive literature review relates to primary applications, electrical power technology, underwater communication challenges, system modeling identification, and control techniques. This study provides an advantageous and thorough overview of the underwater system domain, serving as a valuable resource for upcoming researchers. It encompasses the key facets of UUVs, including their design, control mechanisms, and use. In addition, it delves into recent scholarly works concerning this technology and explores potential forthcoming advancements. Keywords: underwater vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicle, unmanned underwater vehicle, unmanned vehicle system identification, unmanned vehicle modeling. https://doi.org/10.55463/issn.1674-2974.50.11.8