This study proposed a numerical algorithm for estimating the angular misalignments between sensors of an ultra short baseline (USBL) positioning system. The algorithm is based on positioning a seabed transponder by moving a vessel along a predetermined straight-line path. Under the scheme of straight-line survey, mathematical representations of positioning error arising from heading, pitch, and roll misalignments were derived, respectively. The effect of each misalignment angle and how the differences can be used to calibrate each misalignment angle in turn are presented. A USBL calibration procedure that takes advantage of the geometry of position errors resulting from angular misalignments is then developed. During the USBL measurement, temporal and spatial variations of sound speed structure in water column are the major error sources. Therefore, this study used the sound speed profile together with a ray tracing method to correct observations of the USBL measurement. In addition, this study developed a method to compensate the effects of cross-track error on the estimation of alignment errors, and this makes the proposed algorithm applicable for using a vessel without dynamic positioning (DP) systems to collect USBL observations. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated through simulation and field experiment. The simulation and experimental results have demonstrated the effectiveness and robustness of the iterative scheme in finding alignment errors. The proposed algorithm yields a very rapid convergence of the solution series; usually the estimates obtained in the first iteration approximate to true values, and only a few iterations are necessary to achieve fairly accurate solutions.

The performance of an ultra-short baseline (USBL) positioning system is limited by noises and errors from physical environment and other sources. One of the major errors in USBL positioning is to neglect the sensor misalignment which produces static yaw, pitch, and roll offsets. In this study, a circular survey observation scheme is first proposed to study the positioning errors of a USBL system with a fixed seabed transponder. The center of the circular survey scheme is assumed to be located over the top of the transponder. Mathematical equations of the transponder positioning with yaw, pitch, and roll offsets are derived, respectively. According to characteristics of positioning errors arose from yaw, pitch, and roll offsets, an iterative procedure of first getting roll offset, next computing yaw offset, and then obtaining pitch offset for sensor misalignment correction is established. Simulation results indicate that the iterative procedure can effectively obtain all offsets with high determination accuracy and the computation can rapidly converge to desired error tolerance in a few iterations. However, the center of circular vessel survey scheme is almost impossible to be exactly located over the top of the transponder. In such a case, the horizontal positioning error resulting from pitch offset or roll offset is no more a circle function. As a result, it will fail to evaluate the angle offsets through above iterative procedure unless the deviation from real and estimate horizontal transponder position is extremely small comparing to the transponder depth. Therefore, in addition to circular survey scheme, this study proposed a straight survey scheme to study the patterns of positioning error resulting from yaw, pitch, and roll offsets. Similar to the philosophy of establishing the iterative procedure described above, the iterative procedure of first getting pitch offset, next computing roll offset, and then obtaining yaw offset for sensor misalignment correction is established. Again, simulation results show that the iterative procedure can find all offsets with high determination accuracy and has the advantage of quick converging. Besides, the iterative procedure can still obtain correct angle offsets even though there is a constant heading deviation from the direction of the straight vessel track during vessel survey.

The purpose of this research project was to design, implement, and evaluate a prototype underwater positioning system which extends the reach of the terrestrial Global Positioning System (GPS) underwater. The GPS does not function underwater because the high-frequency low-power signals used by the GPS are not able to penetrate more than several meters in water. The Underwater Global Positioning System (UGPS), presented in this work, provides underwater position data to an unlimited number of underwater assets, such as autonomous vehicles. The user requirements are discussed and a design is presented that incorporates a topside surface buoy (satellite) and a subsurface receiver. The satellite is responsible for receiving GPS data and relaying the data, via acoustic signals, to the subsurface receiver. The receiver calculates its position using the coded acoustic signals. The implementation of the prototype UGPS satellite and subsurface receiver are discussed in detail; the custom electronics, software, data acquisition systems and mechanical housings are described. The key operating characteristics of the UGPS are investigated both experimentally and through the analysis of a model describing the entire UGPS. Employing the prototype UGPS, a series of sea-trials were performed that provides essential design data for developing the next version of the system. The main characteristics that were experimentally investigated were: the long and short-range accuracy; the repeatability; and the resolution. The experimental data was also employed to confirm the UGPS model performance. The prototype system demonstrated the feasibility of the UGPS concept and showed that a position accuracy of 6.5m should be attainable for an unlimited number of underwater receivers operating within a one square kilometer workspace. The accuracy can be enhanced to sub-meter by employing more accurate GPS receivers in the satellites and using a sound velocity meter to measure the sound velocity profile of the acoustic workspace.