AI-Aided Advancements in Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Navigation
Pith reviewed 2026-05-08 17:48 UTC · model grok-4.3
The pith
AI-driven learning approaches enhance inertial dead-reckoning and adaptive fusion for high-precision AUV navigation.
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
Core claim
Beyond traditional model-based filtering, AI-driven learning approaches are emerging to enhance inertial dead-reckoning tasks and adaptive fusion algorithms, providing a roadmap for high-precision AUV navigation in environments where electromagnetic signals are unavailable and marine conditions are dynamic.
What carries the argument
Advanced sensor fusion architectures integrating inertial navigation systems with Doppler velocity logs and cameras, augmented by AI-driven learning for dead-reckoning and adaptive algorithms.
If this is right
- AUVs achieve higher positioning precision for extended deep-sea operations without external references.
- Adaptive fusion algorithms respond more effectively to changing underwater conditions.
- Inertial dead-reckoning errors are reduced through learned corrections rather than fixed models.
- A structured path emerges for combining AI with existing sensors to support autonomous missions.
Where Pith is reading between the lines
- The same AI fusion patterns could transfer to other signal-denied settings such as caves or planetary surfaces if the marine-specific training data generalizes.
- Hardware costs for AUVs might decrease if software-based learning compensates for lower-grade sensors.
- Real-world validation would require side-by-side runs against traditional filters under documented environmental disturbances.
Load-bearing premise
The reviewed AI methods will reliably handle the dynamic unpredictability of the marine environment when integrated with traditional sensors.
What would settle it
A controlled sea trial in variable currents and low visibility where an AI-enhanced fusion system loses position accuracy faster than a non-AI baseline over the same distance.
Figures
read the original abstract
Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have become indispensable for deep-sea exploration, spanning critical scientific research and commercial applications. The rapid attenuation of electromagnetic waves renders satellite radio signals unavailable, while the dynamic unpredictability of the marine environment presents formidable navigation challenges. This chapter explores recent advancements in AI-aided AUV positioning, specifically focusing on advanced sensor fusion architectures that integrate inertial navigation systems with Doppler velocity logs and cameras. Beyond traditional model-based filtering, we examine the transformative emergence of AI-driven learning approaches in enhancing inertial dead-reckoning tasks and adaptive fusion algorithms. By addressing these recent milestones, this chapter provides a comprehensive roadmap for achieving the high-precision navigation essential for autonomous underwater missions.
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. The manuscript is a survey chapter on AI-aided advancements in Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) navigation. It outlines the challenges of underwater positioning due to electromagnetic attenuation and marine dynamics, then reviews sensor fusion architectures that combine inertial navigation systems with Doppler velocity logs and cameras. The central focus is the shift from traditional model-based filtering to AI-driven learning methods for improving inertial dead-reckoning and adaptive fusion algorithms, concluding with a roadmap for high-precision autonomous missions.
Significance. As a literature synthesis, the chapter consolidates recent work on AI integration for AUV navigation and could serve as a useful entry point for researchers in marine robotics. Its descriptive claim that AI approaches enhance dead-reckoning and fusion follows directly from cited studies and does not require new empirical validation. However, without quantitative comparisons, error analyses, or critical discussion of limitations in the reviewed methods, the significance remains modest and primarily organizational rather than transformative.
minor comments (3)
- The abstract asserts a 'transformative emergence' of AI-driven approaches but provides no specific examples, performance metrics, or citations in the provided text; this should be supported with concrete references or a dedicated subsection summarizing key studies and their reported improvements.
- The manuscript describes integration of inertial systems with Doppler velocity logs and cameras but does not address potential failure modes or environmental factors (e.g., turbidity affecting cameras) that could undermine the claimed high-precision outcomes; a brief limitations paragraph would strengthen the roadmap section.
- Notation for sensor fusion architectures is introduced without an accompanying diagram or table summarizing the reviewed methods, their inputs/outputs, and reported accuracy gains; adding such a summary table would improve readability for a survey chapter.
Simulated Author's Rebuttal
We thank the referee for the constructive review and recommendation for minor revision. We appreciate the recognition that the manuscript serves as a useful literature synthesis on AI-aided AUV navigation. We agree that enhancing the critical discussion of limitations will improve the chapter and have revised the manuscript to incorporate this feedback.
read point-by-point responses
-
Referee: However, without quantitative comparisons, error analyses, or critical discussion of limitations in the reviewed methods, the significance remains modest and primarily organizational rather than transformative.
Authors: As a survey chapter, the manuscript synthesizes existing literature rather than presenting new empirical results, and we concur with the referee that new quantitative comparisons or error analyses are not required. To address the point on critical discussion, we have added a dedicated subsection that examines limitations of the reviewed AI-driven methods, including challenges related to training data scarcity in underwater environments, robustness to sensor noise and marine dynamics, generalization across different AUV platforms, and computational overhead for real-time deployment. These points are drawn directly from the cited studies and provide a balanced perspective on the current state of the field. revision: yes
Circularity Check
No circularity: descriptive survey without derivations or predictions
full rationale
The paper is a review chapter surveying AI-aided methods for AUV navigation from existing literature. It presents no new equations, fitted parameters, predictions, or derivation chains of its own. All claims about enhancements to dead-reckoning and fusion are descriptive summaries of cited prior studies rather than internally generated results that could reduce to the paper's inputs by construction. No self-citations function as load-bearing uniqueness theorems or ansatzes; the work is self-contained as a roadmap based on external references.
Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger
Lean theorems connected to this paper
-
Foundation.GeneralizedDAlembert / Cost.FunctionalEquationwashburn_uniqueness_aczel unclear?
unclearRelation between the paper passage and the cited Recognition theorem.
physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) ... embed the underlying physical laws directly into the training objective as soft constraints
What do these tags mean?
- matches
- The paper's claim is directly supported by a theorem in the formal canon.
- supports
- The theorem supports part of the paper's argument, but the paper may add assumptions or extra steps.
- extends
- The paper goes beyond the formal theorem; the theorem is a base layer rather than the whole result.
- uses
- The paper appears to rely on the theorem as machinery.
- contradicts
- The paper's claim conflicts with a theorem or certificate in the canon.
- unclear
- Pith found a possible connection, but the passage is too broad, indirect, or ambiguous to say the theorem truly supports the claim.
Reference graph
Works this paper leans on
-
[1]
J. C. Kinsey, R. M. Eustice, L. L. Whitcomb, A survey of underwater vehicle navigation: Recent advances and new challenges, in: IFAC conference of manoeuvering and control of marine craft, Vol. 88, Lisbon, 2006, pp. 1–12
2006
-
[2]
Paull, S
L. Paull, S. Saeedi, M. Seto, H. Li, AUV navigation and localization: A review, IEEE Journal of oceanic engineering 39 (1) (2013) 131–149
2013
-
[3]
R. B. Wynn, V. A. Huvenne, T. P. Le Bas, B. J. Murton, D. P. Connelly, B. J. Bett, H. A. Ruhl, K. J. Morris, J. Peakall, D. R. Parsons, et al., Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs): Their past, present and future contributions to the advancement of marine geoscience, Marine geology 352 (2014) 451–468
2014
-
[4]
Stutters, H
L. Stutters, H. Liu, C. Tiltman, D. J. Brown, Navigation technologies for autonomous underwater vehicles, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Part C (Applications and Reviews) 38 (4) (2008) 581–589
2008
-
[5]
Zhang, D
B. Zhang, D. Ji, S. Liu, X. Zhu, W. Xu, Autonomous underwater vehicle navigation: A review, Ocean Engineering 273 (2023) 113861
2023
-
[6]
J. J. Leonard, A. Bahr, Autonomous underwater vehicle navigation, Springer handbook of ocean engi- neering (2016) 341–358
2016
-
[7]
Alexandris, P
C. Alexandris, P. Papageorgas, D. Piromalis, Positioning systems for unmanned underwater vehicles: A comprehensive review, Applied Sciences 14 (21) (2024) 9671. 20
2024
-
[8]
Zhang, H
T. Zhang, H. Shi, L. Chen, Y. Li, J. Tong, AUV positioning method based on tightly coupled SINS/LBL for underwater acoustic multipath propagation, Sensors 16 (3) (2016) 357
2016
-
[9]
Y. Wu, X. Ta, R. Xiao, Y. Wei, D. An, D. Li, Survey of underwater robot positioning navigation, Applied Ocean Research 90 (2019) 101845
2019
-
[10]
P. D. Groves, Principles of GNSS, Inertial, and Multisensor Integrated Navigation Systems, Artech House, Norwood, MA, USA, 2013
2013
-
[11]
D. Wang, X. Xu, Y. Yao, T. Zhang, Y. Zhu, A novel SINS/DVL tightly integrated navigation method for complex environment, IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement 69 (7) (2019) 5183– 5196
2019
-
[12]
Titterton, J
D. Titterton, J. L. Weston, Strapdown inertial navigation technology, Vol. 17, IET, 2004
2004
-
[13]
N. A. Brokloff, Matrix algorithm for Doppler sonar navigation, in: Proceedings of OCEANS’94, Vol. 3, IEEE, 1994, pp. III–378
1994
-
[14]
J. C. Kinsey, L. L. Whitcomb, In situ alignment calibration of attitude and Doppler sensors for precision underwater vehicle navigation: Theory and experiment, IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering 32 (2) (2007) 286–299
2007
-
[15]
D. Wang, X. Xu, Y. Yang, T. Zhang, A quasi-Newton quaternions calibration method for DVL error aided GNSS, IEEE transactions on vehicular technology 70 (3) (2021) 2465–2477
2021
-
[16]
Barrau, S
A. Barrau, S. Bonnabel, The invariant extended Kalman filter as a stable observer, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control 62 (4) (2017) 1797–1812
2017
-
[17]
S. J. Julier, J. K. Uhlmann, New extension of the Kalman filter to nonlinear systems, in: Signal processing, sensor fusion, and target recognition VI, Vol. 3068, Spie, 1997, pp. 182–193
1997
-
[18]
Bar-Shalom, X
Y. Bar-Shalom, X. R. Li, T. Kirubarajan, Estimation with applications to tracking and navigation: theory algorithms and software, John Wiley & Sons, 2001
2001
-
[19]
Farrell, Aided navigation: GPS with high rate sensors, McGraw-Hill, Inc., 2008
J. Farrell, Aided navigation: GPS with high rate sensors, McGraw-Hill, Inc., 2008
2008
-
[20]
B. Xu, Y. Guo, J. Hu, An improved robust Kalman filter for SINS/DVL tightly integrated navigation system, IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement 70 (2021) 1–15
2021
-
[21]
Frutuoso, F
A. Frutuoso, F. O. Silva, E. A. de Barros, Performance evaluation of coarse alignment methods for autonomous underwater vehicles in mooring conditions, Ocean Engineering 282 (2023) 114991
2023
-
[22]
Troni, L
G. Troni, L. L. Whitcomb, New methods for in-situ calibration of attitude and Doppler sensors for underwater vehicle navigation: Preliminary results, in: OCEANS 2010 MTS/IEEE SEATTLE, IEEE, 2010, pp. 1–8. 21
2010
-
[23]
Zhaopeng, T
L. Zhaopeng, T. Kanghua, W. Meiping, Online estimation of DVL misalignment angle in SINS/DVL integrated navigation system, in: IEEE 2011 10th International Conference on Electronic Measurement & Instruments, Vol. 2, IEEE, 2011, pp. 336–339
2011
- [24]
-
[25]
A. Levy, I. Klein, Adaptive neural unscented kalman filter, IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Vehicles (2026)
2026
-
[26]
Cohen, I
N. Cohen, I. Klein, BeamsNet: A Data-driven Approach Enhancing Doppler Velocity Log Measurements for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Navigation, Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence 114 (2022) 105216
2022
-
[27]
Klein, Y
I. Klein, Y. Lipman, Continuous INS/DVL Fusion in Situations of DVL Outages, in: 2020 IEEE/OES Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Symposium (AUV), 2020, pp. 1–6
2020
-
[28]
Topini, F
E. Topini, F. Fanelli, A. Topini, M. Pebody, A. Ridolfi, A. B. Phillips, B. Allotta, An experimental com- parison of deep learning strategies for AUV navigation in DVL-denied environments, Ocean Engineering 274 (2023) 114034
2023
-
[29]
P. Liu, B. Wang, Z. Deng, M. Fu, INS/DVL/PS tightly coupled underwater navigation method with limited DVL measurements, IEEE Sensors Journal 18 (7) (2018) 2994–3002
2018
-
[30]
J. Qin, M. Li, D. Li, J. Zhong, K. Yang, A survey on visual navigation and positioning for autonomous UUVs, Remote Sensing 14 (15) (2022) 3794
2022
-
[31]
Heshmat, L
M. Heshmat, L. Saad Saoud, M. Abujabal, A. Sultan, M. Elmezain, L. Seneviratne, I. Hussain, Under- water SLAM meets deep learning: challenges, multi-sensor integration, and future directions, Sensors 25 (11) (2025) 3258
2025
-
[32]
Raissi, P
M. Raissi, P. Perdikaris, G. E. Karniadakis, Physics-informed neural networks: A deep learning frame- work for solving forward and inverse problems involving nonlinear partial differential equations, Journal of Computational physics 378 (2019) 686–707
2019
-
[33]
Xu, C.-B
P.-F. Xu, C.-B. Han, H.-X. Cheng, C. Cheng, T. Ge, A physics-informed neural network for the predic- tion of unmanned surface vehicle dynamics, Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 10 (2) (2022) 148
2022
-
[34]
D. Wang, B. Wang, H. Huang, Y. Yao, Online calibration method of DVL error based on improved integrated navigation model, IEEE Sensors Journal 22 (21) (2022) 21082–21092. 22
2022
-
[35]
B. Xu, Y. Guo, A novel DVL calibration method based on robust invariant extended Kalman filter, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology 71 (9) (2022) 9422–9434
2022
-
[36]
Yampolsky, I
Z. Yampolsky, I. Klein, DCNet: A data-driven framework for DVL calibration, Applied Ocean Research 158 (2025) 104525
2025
-
[37]
B. Xu, L. Wang, S. Li, J. Zhang, A novel calibration method of SINS/DVL integration navigation system based on quaternion, IEEE Sensors Journal 20 (16) (2020) 9567–9580
2020
-
[38]
S. Liu, T. Zhang, Y. Zhu, A GNSS aided calibration method for DVL error based on the optimal- REQUEST, IEEE Sensors Journal 22 (22) (2022) 21899–21910
2022
-
[39]
J. A. Farrell, F. O. Silva, F. Rahman, J. Wendel, Inertial Measurement Unit Error Modeling Tutorial: Inertial Navigation System State Estimation with Real-Time Sensor Calibration, IEEE Control Systems Magazine 42 (6) (2022) 40–66.doi:10.1109/MCS.2022.3209059
-
[40]
E. H. Thompson, J. L. Farrell, J. W. Knight, Alignment Methods for Strapdown Inertial Systems, J. Spacecr. Rockets 3 (9) (1966) 1432–1434
1966
-
[41]
K. R. Britting, Inertial Navigation Systems Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, Canada, 1971
1971
-
[42]
Wahba, A Least Squares Estimate of Satellite Attitude, SIAM Rev
G. Wahba, A Least Squares Estimate of Satellite Attitude, SIAM Rev. 8 (3) (1966) 384–386
1966
-
[43]
P. M. G. Silson, Coarse alignment of a ship’s strapdown inertial attitude reference system using velocity loci, IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas. 60 (6) (2011) 1930–1941
2011
-
[44]
A. Frutuoso, F. O. Silva, E. A. de Barros, Performance evaluation of coarse alignment methods for autonomous underwater vehicles in mooring conditions, Ocean Eng. 282 (2023) 114991.doi:10.1016/ j.oceaneng.2023.114991
-
[45]
Y. Y. Qin, G. M. Yan, D. Q. Gu, J. B. Zheng, A Clever Way of SINS Coarse Alignment Despite Rocking Ship, J. Northwestern Polytech. Univ. 23 (5) (2005) 681–684
2005
-
[46]
F. O. Silva, E. M. Hemerly, W. C. L. Filho, Error Analysis of Analytical Coarse Alignment Formulations for Stationary SINS, IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst. 52 (4) (2016) 1777–1796.doi:10.1109/TAES. 2016.150177
-
[47]
Z. Yampolsky, F. O. Silva, A. Frutuoso, I. Klein, Neural-Assisted in-Motion Self-Heading Alignment, arXiv preprint arXiv:2604.00168 (2026)
-
[48]
D. Engelsman, I. Klein, Towards learning-based gyrocompassing, Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence 163 (2026) 112842.doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engappai.2025.112842. URLhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0952197625028738 23
-
[49]
Wahba, A least squares estimate of satellite attitude, SIAM Review 7 (3) (1965) 409
G. Wahba, A least squares estimate of satellite attitude, SIAM Review 7 (3) (1965) 409
1965
-
[50]
Umeyama, Least-squares estimation of transformation parameters between two point patterns, IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence 13 (4) (1991) 376–380
S. Umeyama, Least-squares estimation of transformation parameters between two point patterns, IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence 13 (4) (1991) 376–380
1991
-
[51]
Damari, I
G. Damari, I. Klein, ResAlignNet: A data-driven approach for INS/DVL alignment, Ocean Engineering 356 (2026) 125277
2026
-
[52]
Damari, I
G. Damari, I. Klein, A data-driven method for INS/DVL alignment, in: OCEANS Great Lakes Confer- ence, MTS, Chicago, IL, 2025
2025
-
[53]
K. He, X. Zhang, S. Ren, J. Sun, Deep residual learning for image recognition, in: Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, 2016, pp. 770–778
2016
-
[54]
Cohen, I
N. Cohen, I. Klein, Adaptive Kalman-Informed Transformer, Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence 146 (2025) 110221
2025
-
[55]
Miller, J
P.A. Miller, J. A.Farrell, Y.Zhao, V.Djapic, Autonomous underwater vehiclenavigation, IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering 35 (3) (2010) 663–678
2010
-
[56]
Simon, Optimal state estimation: Kalman, H infinity, and nonlinear approaches, John Wiley & Sons, 2006
D. Simon, Optimal state estimation: Kalman, H infinity, and nonlinear approaches, John Wiley & Sons, 2006
2006
-
[57]
Klein, Y
I. Klein, Y. Gutnik, Y. Lipman, Estimating DVL velocity in complete beam measurement outage sce- narios, IEEE Sensors Journal 22 (21) (2022) 20730–20737
2022
-
[58]
Cohen, I
N. Cohen, I. Klein, LiBeamsNet: AUV velocity vector estimation in situations of limited DVL beam measurements, in: OCEANS 2022, Hampton Roads, IEEE, 2022, pp. 1–5
2022
-
[59]
Cohen, I
N. Cohen, I. Klein, Seamless Underwater Navigation with Limited Doppler Velocity Log Measurements, IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Vehicles (2024)
2024
-
[60]
Cohen, I
N. Cohen, I. Klein, Gaussian Process Regression for Improved Underwater Navigation, in: 2025 IEEE/ION Position, Location and Navigation Symposium (PLANS), IEEE, 2025, pp. 1125–1132
2025
-
[61]
Stolero, I
Y. Stolero, I. Klein, AUV acceleration prediction using DVL and deep learning, in: OCEANS 2025 - Great Lakes, 2025, pp. 1–5
2025
-
[62]
M. Ferrera, J. Moras, P. Trouvé-Peloux, V. Creuze, Real-Time Monocular Visual Odometry for Turbid and Dynamic Underwater Environments, Sensors 19 (3) (2019).doi:10.3390/s19030687. URLhttps://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/3/687
-
[63]
G. Chen, G. Du, C. Yang, Y. Xu, C. Wu, H. Hu, F. Dong, J. Zeng, An underwater visual SLAM system with adaptive image enhancement, Ocean Engineering 326 (2025) 120896.doi:https://doi.org/10. 24 1016/j.oceaneng.2025.120896. URLhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0029801825006092
-
[64]
N. Weidner, S. Rahman, A. Q. Li, I. Rekleitis, Underwater cave mapping using stereo vision, in: 2017 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2017, pp. 5709–5715.doi:10. 1109/ICRA.2017.7989672
-
[65]
P. Chen, W. Guan, P. Lu, Esvio: Event-based stereo visual inertial odometry, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters 8 (6) (2023) 3661–3668
2023
-
[66]
J. Niu, S. Zhong, X. Lu, S. Shen, G. Gallego, Y. Zhou, Esvo2: Direct visual-inertial odometry with stereo event cameras, IEEE Transactions on Robotics (2025)
2025
-
[67]
Teixeira, H
B. Teixeira, H. Silva, A. Matos, E. Silva, Deep learning for underwater visual odometry estimation, Ieee Access 8 (2020) 44687–44701
2020
-
[68]
Rahman, A
S. Rahman, A. Q. Li, I. Rekleitis, Sonar visual inertial SLAM of underwater structures, in: 2018 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), IEEE, 2018, pp. 5190–5196
2018
-
[69]
Rahman, A
S. Rahman, A. Q. Li, I. Rekleitis, Svin2: An underwater slam system using sonar, visual, inertial, and depth sensor, in: 2019 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), IEEE, 2019, pp. 1861–1868
2019
-
[70]
R. Miao, J. Qian, Y. Song, R. Ying, P. Liu, UniVIO: Unified direct and feature-based underwater stereo visual-inertial odometry, IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement 71 (2021) 1–14
2021
- [71]
- [72]
-
[73]
Chakraverty, A
S. Chakraverty, A. K. Sahoo, D. Mohapatra, Artificial Neural Networks and Type-2 Fuzzy Set: Elements of Soft Computing and Its Applications, Elsevier, 2025
2025
-
[74]
Etzion, I
A. Etzion, I. Klein, MoRPI: Mobile robot pure inertial navigation, IEEE Journal of Indoor and Seamless Positioning and Navigation 1 (2023) 141–150. 25
2023
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.