Abstract
This paper explores the configuration and control of a tethered undersea kite with reduced cross-current speed, aimed at mitigating its impact on marine life. The kite features a counter-rotating turbine that cancels rotor torque and operates at significantly lower rotational speeds than conventional turbines at the same tip speed ratio. The study introduces a novel application of a multi-input, multi-output integrator backstepping algorithm for kite attitude control, leveraging a Lyapunov function to ensure the kite follows the desired trajectory. The algorithm is extended to account for a constant current. Baseline simulations show the strong performance of the controller, with the kite achieving reciprocating figure-eight trajectories and quickly following control references, demonstrating potential for future optimizations.