Navigation and control of the Nereus hybrid underwater vehicle for global ocean science to 10,903 m depth: Preliminary results

This paper reports an overview of the navigation and control system design for the new Nereus hybrid underwater robotic vehicle (HROV). Vehicle performance during its first sea trials in November 2007 near Hawaii, and in May and June 2009 in the Challenger Deep of the Mariana Trench is reported. During the latter expedition, the vehicle successfully performed scientific observation and sampling operations at depths exceeding 10,903 m. The Nereus...