A performance-enhanced DVL/SINS integrated navigation system based on data-driven approach

Abstract With the aid of Doppler velocity logger (DVL), strapdown inertial navigation systems (SINSs) can provide continuous and accurate navigation parameters for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). However, owing to the complex underwater environment, partial DVL beams may fail to be reflected by the seafloor, resulting in DVL measurement outage. In this study, a novel data-driven approach enhancing DVL/SINS integrated navigation system is proposed to improve the robustness and accuracy of UUV navigation with limited DVL beams. First, to make full use of the available beam, the velocities of DVL beams are used to assist the SINS navigation instead of the 3D velocity of DVL. Subsequently, a virtual beam predictor based on multi-output least-squares support vector regression (MLS-SVR) is built to run in parallel with the DVL/SINS integrated system. Specifically, when the DVL operates normally, all four beams can be applied for integrated navigation and stored as the training dataset. Once partial beams are missing, the available beams and the outputs of SINS and pressure sensors can train the MLS-SVR model along with the corresponding missing beams in the training set. Subsequently, the missing beams can be predicted by the trained model for integrated navigation together with the available beams. UUV sea trials indicate that the proposed system can accurately predict unavailable beams and improve the positioning accuracy of the DVL/SINS integrated navigation system.