scholarly journals Towards Software Based Optical Communication Methods for the Assistance of Docking Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Electronics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 655
Author(s):  
Josef Grindley ◽  
Owen McAree ◽  
Muhammad Ateeq ◽  
Badr Abdullah ◽  
Frederic Bezombes
Keyword(s):  
Optical Communications ◽  
Light Emitting Diode ◽  
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles ◽  
Underwater Vehicles ◽  
Optical Signal ◽  
Range Data ◽  
Underwater Robotics ◽  
Real World Data ◽  
Test Environment ◽  
Receiver Model

The use of optical communications systems is prevalent in underwater robotics when short-range data transmission is required or preferred. This paper proposes a method of producing and testing an optical communications system for use in the assistance of optical docking for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). It describes how the Simulink modelling environment was used to program and simulate a model of a transmitter, which was then implemented on a microcontroller. The transmitter model implemented on hardware was then used to produce an optical signal, which was sampled, logged and used to design a receiver model in Simulink. For signalling purposes, the experiment used a light-emitting diode (LED) with a driver circuit and photodiode based receiver. This simulated approach using real world data enabled the analysis of the system at every point during the process, allowing for a hardware in the loop style approach to be used in the receiver model design. Consequently, the Simulink Coder was used to produce the receiver model’s equivalent in C++ for later deployment. A benchmark was determined through experimentation to compare within future studies; the system was tested and found to operate effectively at distances between 1 m and 12 m in a controlled in air test environment.

High-Bandwidth Underwater Wireless Communication Using a Swarm of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Immas ◽  
Mohsen Saadat ◽  
Jesus Navarro ◽  
Matthew Drake ◽  
Julie Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wireless Communication ◽  
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles ◽  
Underwater Vehicles ◽  
Optical Signal ◽  
Image Processing Technique ◽  
Communication Link ◽  
Water Tank ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
High Bandwidth ◽  
Underwater Wireless Communication

Abstract We present a new method for underwater wireless communication with high bandwidth and over long distance. A swarm of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) is used to relay an optical signal between two points at any distance. Each vehicle is equipped with multiple attitude stabilization systems to reach the required pointing and tracking accuracy for optical communication. This technology would enable fast and efficient underwater exploration which is highly needed as only 5% of the world’s oceans have been explored so far. We carried out an experimental proof of concept to show that it is possible to relay an optical signal underwater between two points using a swarm of AUVs. The experiment took place in a 2m deep water tank. We modified and controlled two submarine models to reflect the laser beam stemming from a laser pointer at the bottom of the tank to the desired location. To know their positions, we developed an image processing technique which required the setup of a RF communication link at 315Mhz between the computers processing the camera’s videos and the units.

The concept of a quiet undulating propulsion with ionic polymer-metal composites in autonomous underwater vehicles

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (89) ◽  
pp. 35-40
Author(s):  
A. Adamczyk
Keyword(s):  
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles ◽  
Underwater Vehicles ◽  
Future Application ◽  
Underwater Robotics ◽  
Metal Composites ◽  
Ionic Polymer Metal Composites ◽  
Ionic Polymer ◽  
Materials Research ◽  
Polymer Metal ◽  
Living Organisms

Purpose: Recent years have shown a dynamic development of underwater robotics. Autonomous biomimetic underwater vehicles (BUVs) with undulating propulsion are the latest branch in this area. They imitate not only the construction of underwater living organisms such as fish, but also kinematics of their motion. Such solution gives more energy efficient propulsion with less noise comparing to classical propulsion based on screw propellers [1]. However even the latest solutions still use the same electromagnetic engines to drive those sophisticated constructions. This article contains the concept of a ionic polymer-metal composites drive, design for undulating propulsion. Design/methodology/approach: Design of the new type of fin requires further tests and presented model takes under the consideration influence of only few factors described in this paper. Findings: Results of the research confirm theoretical behaviour of IPMC’s (Ionic Polymer- Metal Composites) and show some disadvantages of this type of materials. Research limitations/implications: The effects of the research are limited to macroscopic observation with limited accuracy. Practical implications: Results of the research show possible future application of IPMC’s (in underwater robotics). Originality/value: Results of this research opens a new idea which with further tests may result in developing a new quiet undulating propulsion for BUV’s.

An Innovative Navigation Strategy for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles: An Unscented Kalman Filter Based Approach

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedetto Allotta ◽  
Riccardo Costanzi ◽  
Enrico Meli ◽  
Alessandro Ridolfi ◽  
Luigi Chisci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kalman Filter ◽  
Unscented Kalman Filter ◽  
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles ◽  
Underwater Vehicles ◽  
Measurement Unit ◽  
Doppler Velocity ◽  
Underwater Robotics ◽  
Filtering Algorithm ◽  
Navigation Algorithms ◽  
Underwater Navigation

Developing reliable navigation strategies is mandatory in the field of Underwater Robotics and in particular for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) to ensure the correct achievement of a mission. Underwater navigation is still nowadays critical, e.g. due to lack of access to satellite navigation systems (e.g. the Global Positioning System, GPS): an AUV typically proceeds for long time intervals only relying on the measurements of its on-board sensors, without any communication with the outside environment. In this context, the filtering algorithm for the estimation of the AUV state is a key factor for the performance of the system; i.e. the filtering algorithm used to estimate the state of the AUV has to guarantee a satisfactory underwater navigation accuracy. In this paper, the authors present an underwater navigation system which exploits measurements from an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) and a Pressure Sensor (PS) for the depth, and relies on either an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) or an Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) for state estimation. A comparison between the EKF approach, classically adopted in the field of underwater robotics and the UKF is given. These navigation algorithms have been experimentally validated through the data related to some sea tests with the Typhoon class AUVs, designed and assembled by the Department of Industrial Engineering of the Florence University (DIEF) for exploration and surveillance of underwater archaeological sites in the framework of the THESAURUS and European ARROWS projects. The comparison results are significant as the two filtering strategies are based on the same process and sensors models. At this initial stage of the research activity, the navigation algorithms have been tested offline. The presented results rely on the experimental navigation data acquired during two different sea missions: in the first one, Typhoon AUV #1 navigated in a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) mode near Livorno, Italy, during the final demo of THESAURUS project (held in August 2013); in the latter Typhoon AUV #2 autonomously navigated near La Spezia in the framework of the NATO CommsNet13 experiment, Italy (held in September 2013). The achieved results demonstrate the effectiveness of both navigation algorithms and the superiority of the UKF without increasing the computational load. The algorithms are both affordable for online on-board AUV implementation and new tests at sea are planned for spring 2015.

An Approach to Tagging Objects of Interest in Oceanic Environments Through the Use of an AUV

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Waltuch ◽  
Elizabeth Astle ◽  
Eric Mirante ◽  
Brent Cornwall ◽  
James McCusker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles ◽  
Underwater Vehicles ◽  
Underwater Robotics ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Remotely Operated Vehicle ◽  
Neutral Buoyancy ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Novel Design ◽  
Lengthy Process ◽  
The Ideal

In the field of underwater robotics, Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) have made many advancements in operating depth, mission endurance, and acoustic range making them the ideal vehicle for surveying and searching for any Object of Interest (OOI) over large areas of water. The downside to this technology is that the operator must wait for the vehicle’s mission to end to determine whether an OOI has been identified. Additionally, if an OOI is identified this object will need to be found again. The solution to this lengthy process is to equip the AUV with a suite of Underwater Locator Beacons (ULB) which can be deployed and anchored next to any positively identified OOI. This way, the operator can be actively listening for the pinging frequency of a deployed ULB where then a secondary Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) can be launched to retrieve or further investigate the OOI while the AUV continues its search and tag. This paper presents the design and test of a ULB deployment system that would be implemented into an AUV. An AUV is sensitive to changes in weight, therefore this novel design leverages the concepts of Archimedes Principle by preserving neutral buoyancy pre- and post-deployment of the ULB. Upon deployment, the ULB will be capable of securely anchoring itself in a wide range of seabed environments. To test the design described above, a custom ROV has been fabricated with the sole purpose of transporting the ULB deployment system to operating depth. The paper describes in detail both the test results from the ULB deployment system and a design for implementation into an AUV.

Optimization of a Swarm of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles for High-Bandwidth Underwater Wireless Communication

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Immas ◽  
Mohammad-Reza Alam
Keyword(s):  
Wireless Communication ◽  
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles ◽  
Underwater Vehicles ◽  
Optical Signal ◽  
Ocean Current ◽  
Communication Link ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Second Order Cone ◽  
High Bandwidth ◽  
Underwater Wireless Communication

Abstract High-bandwidth underwater wireless communication can be achieved over long-distance using a swarm of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) relaying an optical signal. The swarm behavior is of critical importance as it will determine the robustness and the autonomy of the communication link. Each vehicle must remain at a distance lower than the optical communication system range from each other while fighting against environmental disturbances such as ocean current. This technology could be a game changer in the deployment and supervision of future oil wells and of deep sea mining which will be deeper and deeper in the oceans. We developed an optimization program to maximize the communication link autonomy while assuring its robustness. The nonlinear optimization problem is transformed to a Second-Order Cone Problem (SOCP), a special case of convex problems that can be efficiently solved with Yalmip on Matlab. We show on two case studies that the autonomy of the swarm and thus the lifetime of the communication link is increased by more than 10% compared to a direct approach where the reference position of the vehicles is fixed.

scholarly journals Underwater Wireless Communications for Cooperative Robotics with UWSim-NET

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (17) ◽  
pp. 3526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Centelles ◽  
Antonio Soriano-Asensi ◽  
José Vicente Martí ◽  
Raúl Marín ◽  
Pedro J. Sanz
Keyword(s):  
Wireless Communications ◽  
Communication Networks ◽  
Multiple Access ◽  
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles ◽  
Underwater Vehicles ◽  
Underwater Robotics ◽  
Hardware In The Loop ◽  
Robot Operating System ◽  
Network Simulators ◽  
The Impact

The increasing number of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) cooperating in underwater operations has motivated the use of wireless communications. Their modeling can minimize the impact of their limited performance in real-time robotic interventions. However, robotic frameworks hardly ever consider the communications, and network simulators are not suitable for HIL experiments. In this work, the UWSim-NET is presented, an open source tool to simulate the impact of communications in underwater robotics. It gathers the benefits of NS3 in modeling communication networks with those of the underwater robot simulator (UWSim) and the robot operating system (ROS) in modeling robotic systems. This article also shows the results of three experiments that demonstrate the capabilities of UWSim-NET in modeling radio frequency (RF) and acoustic links in underwater scenarios. It also permits evaluating several MAC protocols such as additive links online Hawaii area (ALOHA), slotted floor acquisition multiple access (S-FAMA) and user defined protocols. A third experiment demonstrated the excellent capabilities of UWSim-NET in conducting hardware in the loop (HIL) experiments.

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