Design of a Self-Balancing System of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

Mass shifter mechanism (MSM) and internal rolling mass (IRM) are the most essential element in one autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Its function is to reorient the centre of mass of the AUV in order to change advancing direction or to produce reverse torque to prevent the hull from rolling which usually caused by the torque of the main thrust motor. In this particular article, we will present the analysis and the design of a mass shifter mechanism for a specific case of a AUV with torpedo profile of 2.5 m length and the hull diameter of 0.25 m. The mass shifter mechanism contains a partial translation mechanism traveling along the hull length which produce a change in the pitch angle of the vehicle. Additionally, two internal rolling mass (IRM) are placed respectively in the front and the rear of the vehicle to generate reverse torque eliminating undesirable torque of the thrust motor and to enhance roll control.