Underwater polarization pattern for bionic navigation under different environments

For underwater vehicles, autonomous navigation technology is a key technology. Drawing inspiration from creatures, polarization navigation represents a satellite–free navigation approach with significant potential for application in underwater environments. However, due to the complexity of the underwater environment, achieving polarization navigation for underwater vehicles is highly challenging. The realization of underwater polarization navigation technology is inseparable from the study of the underwater polarization pattern. To further advance the underwater polarization navigation technology, this review presents the research progress on the underwater polarization pattern by analyzing current studies on the model, simulation, experiment, and navigation. Researchers have established a relatively mature model based on the Stokes vector and Mueller matrix. The simulation results, which considered the atmospheric scattering, surface refraction, and underwater scattering simultaneously, are compared with the measurements. At the same time, the research progress of bionic navigation based on underwater polarization patterns is presented. Ultimately, certain existing challenges and future research priorities are suggested. This paper aims to offer insight into the current research status of underwater polarization patterns, thereby fostering the advancement of underwater autonomous navigation and positioning.