A two-loop control method for a boost converter, which combines fuzzy and sliding-mode methodologies, is presented. An inner loop controls the inductor current through a sliding surface whose reference signal is given by a slower outer loop. This outer loop employs a fuzzy logic mechanism to implement a PI controller that guarantees output voltage regulation and results in an excellent transient response during start-up. The controller implementation requires standard analogue devices for the inner loop and an inexpensive 8-bit microcontroller for the outer loop. Experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions and show a better dynamic performance than those obtained by means of classical analogue two-loop techniques.

Knowing the displacement capacity and mobility patterns of industrially exploited (i.e., fished) marine resources is key to establishing effective conservation management strategies in human-impacted marine ecosystems. Acquiring accurate behavioral information of deep-sea fished ecosystems is necessary to establish the sizes of marine protected areas within the framework of large international societal programs (e.g., European Community H2020, as part of the Blue Growth economic strategy). However, such information is currently scarce, and high-frequency and prolonged data collection is rarely available. Here, we report the implementation of autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated vehicles as an aid for acoustic long-baseline localization systems for autonomous tracking of Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus), one of the key living resources exploited in European waters. In combination with seafloor moored acoustic receivers, we detected and tracked the movements of 33 tagged lobsters at 400-m depth for more than 3 months. We also identified the best procedures to localize both the acoustic receivers and the tagged lobsters, based on algorithms designed for off-the-shelf acoustic tags identification. Autonomous mobile platforms that deliver data on animal behavior beyond traditional fixed platform capabilities represent an advance for prolonged, in situ monitoring of deep-sea benthic animal behavior at meter spatial scales.