Bio-Inspired Antagonistic Differential Polarization Algorithm for Heading Determination in Underwater Low-Light Environments

Accurate and reliable polarization information is extremely important as heading cues in underwater low-light environments, especially in the presence of hybrid refraction/scattering dynamic effects. In this article, a bio-inspired antagonistic differential polarization algorithm (ADPA) is proposed for polarization perception, enhancing the resolution and contrast of polarization signals in underwater low-light environments. Starting from the analysis of disturbances in underwater polarization measurements, the wavelet denoising algorithm is introduced to extract the effective light intensity. Subsequently, the antagonistic differential measurement equation is derived by mimicking biological antagonistic differential mechanisms, improving the polarization contrast from orthogonal photoreceptors. The proposed ADPA exhibits the capability to effectively handle consistent interference while dampening time-varying nonlinear disturbances. On this basis, a bio-inspired navigation strategy using ADPA is presented for heading determination. The mapping relationship between underwater polarization information and spatial motion information is revealed. Underwater navigation experiments in real oceans are carried out to manifest the effectiveness of the investigated ADPA-based method. In comparison with existing polarization methods, the proposed method can significantly improve the reliability, adaptability, and robustness of underwater polarization-based navigation.