AUV水下对接装置控制系统设计

自主式水下机器人(Autonomous Underwater Vehicle,简称AUV)在航行使命结束后需要回收至甲板或陆地进行补给和维护。为避免重复布放回收所带来的不便,根据锥形导向式回收原理,针对水下对接装置及其控制系统进行了设计。水下对接装置控制系统由水面控制终端,水下控制系统和水下外部设备等部分组成,使用超短基线引导AUV进入指定区域,在对接过程中依靠行程开关和无线电反馈的信息判断AUV的相对位置及状态,并通过驱动相应的液压机构对AUV姿态进行校正和固定,进而完成对接过程。水下对接装置在千岛湖进行了试验,在吊装水下7 m的情况下实现了AUV的水下对接,并利用湿插拔电连接器完成了对AUV的有线充电和数据上传。试验验证了对接方案的可行性以及控制系统的稳定性,为将来AUV能够进行长时间、不间断航行提供了可能。     

面向ARV的视觉辅助水下对接方法研究

针对水下机器人作业过程中的近距离引导水下对接问题,以自治缆控水下机器人(ARV)为研究对象,为实现快速、高精度的水下对接,设计了基于反射光源识别的单目视觉辅助水下对接方法。通过在对接口布置反光带并将其作为目标图像,设计了图像处理和特征点提取的算法,经过图像特征信息的分析处理,优化算法的时间复杂度,提高了特征点提取的准确率和识别效率。最后设计了传统的引导灯方案与反光带方案的对比试验,验证算法的可行性,证明在水下环境下识别反射光源的方法极大提升了位置估计的准确率,同时在计算速度上也有显著提高,弥补了传统水下对接方法中精度不足或计算量大的缺陷,更好地满足了ARV水下对接的需求,能为潜水器实现水下自主对接提供参考依据。     

一种基于超短基线定位的便携式AUV回坞导航方法

自主水下机器人(AUV)对接技术是目前水下机器人的研究热点,精确可靠的AUV的回坞导航是实现对接的关键技术。对于追求轻便的便携式AUV的对接系统,考虑到便携式AUV的搭载能力有限又需要足够的定位精度用于对接,提出了一种基于超短基线(USBL)定位的回坞导航方法,该方法让AUV只需装载电子罗盘和水声应答器就能完成精确的回坞定位。根据导航方法的特点,设计了一种改进的扩展卡尔曼滤波算法,其优点是能在处理滞后的USBL数据的同时动态估算海流、更新状态方程以消除海流造成的定位误差。通过湖试和大量仿真实验,验证了定位算法在海流影响下的定位性能。     

自主水下机器人水下接驳插拔传输与无线感应传输研究现状及对比分析

水下对接传输技术作为自主水下机器人（autonomous underwater vehicle,简称AUV）水下能源补给及数据传输的重要方式,受到国内外的重点关注,目前采用的水下对接传输方式主要分为接驳插拔传输及无线感应传输。在探究国内外AUV水下对接研究概况的基础上,归纳、总结以上两种传输方式的研究现状,分析对比其在对接传输效率、发展限制因素、对接控制技术等方面的区别。通过分析发现,接驳插拔传输在传输效率及功率方面具备优势,无线感应传输则具有更高的简易性、经济性。此发现为不同作业需求下传输方式的选择提供了基础。通过技术发展限制因素对比得出,在未来技术发展方向上,接驳插拔传输技术需提升系统稳定性、灵活性及费效比,无线感应传输需解决能量损耗、系统鲁棒性及涡旋损耗等问题。对两种传输技术未来发展前景及方向的预测,能够为AUV水下传输的发展提供重要参考。     

面向AUV自主水下对接的视觉检测算法

针对自主式水下机器人水下对接过程中近距离视觉导引存在的定位精度低、计算时间长的问题.基于Cascade RCNN神经网络模型设计了一种高精度视觉检测算法.首先,基于热力图导向的泊松复制建立混合数据增强策略,在实例级和图像级上扩充训练样本;其次,采用完备交并比损失函数提高算法模型输出边界框的回归准确率;然后,使用学习率余...     

自治水下机器人一种新型非接触充电模式应用探讨

分析国内外无人潜水器的供电方式现状,指出能源是制约自治水下机器人(AUV)续航能力以及作业时间的一个主要因素.简要介绍非接触式感应电能传输技术的原理、优点.以及国内外的研究成果和发展趋势.针对自治水下机器人原有供电方式的局限,提出用感应电能传输技术结合可充电电池对AUV进行供电设计的方法与重点问题,还探讨了非接触充电方式在AUV以及其它领域的应用前景与技术优势.     

AUV重力测量的运动加速度建模及平台优选

针对适合捷联式重力仪的AUV搭载平台的选型问题,基于国内AUV实际航行数据,分析了多推进器组合、推进器和浮力舱组合、推进器和鳍舵组合等3类AUV的定深航行运动特性;推导了AUV水下航行在3个坐标轴方向上对重力仪产生的运动加速度计算公式,得到运动加速度与AUV水下6个自由度运动要素的解析表达式;基于运动加速度分析,讨论了适用于水下移动重力测量的AUV平台和推进装置设计,进行了AUV搭载平台的优选,并给出了重力仪安装位置建议;选定的AUV实验平台实施移动重力测量验证试验重复线精度达到0.42mGal,验证了搭载平台优选的有效性。     

水下机器人推力器布置及控制仿真研究

针对自治水下机器人(Autonomous underwater vehicle,AUV)推力器布置和控制仿真的困难性及以往电机仿真难以进行的缺点,提出1种进行多推力器运动仿真的方法,该方法建立的模型克服了推力器推力控制系统不能与电机结合的问题,能较好地反映推力器布置和电机的响应情况,可为AUV的运动控制、布置设计及控制系统开发等提供验证模型.针对流线型AUV CRanger-2的推力器布置情况,在对其建立推力器模型的基础上,利用模型对设定推力下的推力器控制进行仿真.仿真结果表明:该方法能够有效地模拟推力器布置既定情况下的电机运动与推力控制,可为水下机器人控制策略优化提供仿真平台.     

多AUV系统的自适应有限时间一致性跟踪控制

本文将自适应技术与有限时间技术相结合,研究了分布式自治水下机器人(Autonomous Underwater Vehicle,简称AUV)系统的自适应有限时间一致性跟踪控制问题。首先,应用图论相关知识描述多AUV间的通信拓扑;其次,对每个跟随AUV的运动与受力进行了分析,建立了基于位置姿态与速度姿态的二阶系统模型;然后,设计了非奇异快速终端滑模,并基于此对每个跟随AUV构建了连续分布式控制律,利用自适应律估计阻尼,恢复力和外部干扰的上界;最后,利用SIMULINK仿真来验证跟随AUV的位置与速度跟踪效果,直观地阐明了本文所提算法的有效性。     

AUV自主导航航位推算算法的分析研究

地球形状的不规则性,各种导航传感器本身的误差,以及仪器的安装偏差等,使得AUV(自治水下机器人)在进行远距离自主航行时,自主导航的精度大大下降。针对以上问题及实际工程需要,论文对AUV自主导航的航位推算算法做了进一步研究并加以改进,以提高其自主导航精度。最后,利用2004年中国科学院沈阳自动化所水下机器人研究中心进行AUV湖试所获得的数据,对文中提出的算法进行了验证。结果表明,AUV的自主导航精度得到大大提高,可以用于修正原来的自主导航算法。     

Enabling technologies for REMUS docking: an integral component ofan autonomous ocean-sampling network

A dock for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) allows the vehicle to be left on station ready for deployment. However, it represents a significant engineering challenge, as docking requires an accurate navigation system so that the vehicle can find the dock, and complex mechanics to make the required underwater power and data connections. This paper describes the docking system built for the REMUS AUV. It outlines the basis for the design decisions, the as-built configuration, and its performance once deployed. It also delineates the lessons learned from the deployments, and the refinements in the vehicle that have been made since that time, that will improve the system's utility and reliability     

Experiments on vision guided docking of an autonomous underwater vehicle using one camera

This paper introduces an underwater docking procedure for the test-bed autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) platform called ISiMI using one charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The AUV is optically guided by lights mounted around the entrance of a docking station and a vision system consisting of a CCD camera and a frame grabber in the AUV. This paper presents an image processing procedure to identify the dock by discriminating between light images, and proposes a final approach algorithm based on the vision guidance. A signal processing technique to remove noise on the defused grabbed light images is introduced, and a two-stage final approach for stable docking at the terminal instant is suggested. A vision-guidance controller was designed with conventional PID controllers for the vertical plane and the horizontal plane. Experiments were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the vision-guided docking system of the AUV.     

Docking for an autonomous ocean sampling network

In this paper, we examine the issues associated with docking autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) operating within an Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network (AOSN). We present a system based upon an acoustic ultrashort baseline system that allows the AUV to approach the dock from any direction. A passive latch on the AUV and a pole on the dock accomplish the task of mechanically docking the vehicle. We show that our technique for homing is extremely robust in the face of the two dominant sources of error-namely the presence of currents and the presence of magnetic anomalies. Our strategy for homing is independent of the initial bearing of the dock to the AUV, includes a method for detecting when the vehicle has missed the dock, and automatically ensures that the AUV is in a position to retry homing with a greater chance of success. Our approach is seen to be extremely successful in homing the vehicle to the dock, mechanically attaching itself to the dock, aligning inductive cores for data and power transfer, and undocking at the start of a fresh mission. Once the AUV is on the dock, we present a methodology that allows us to achieve the complex tasks with ensuring that the AUV is securely docked, periodically checking vehicle status, reacting to a vehicle that requires charging, tracking it when it is out on a mission, archiving and transmitting via satellite the data that the AUV collects during its missions, as well as providing a mechanism for researchers removed from the site to learn about vehicle status and command high-level missions. The dock is capable of long-term deployments at a remote site while respecting the constraints - low power, small size, low computational energy, low bandwidth, and little or no user input - imposed by the amalgamation of acoustic, electronic and mechanical components that comprise the entire system     

Numerical investigation of the hydrodynamic interaction between two underwater bodies in relative motion

The hydrodynamic interaction between an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) manoeuvring in close proximity to a larger underwater vehicle can cause rapid changes in the motion of the AUV. This interaction can lead to mission failure and possible vehicle collision. Being self-piloted and comparatively small, an AUV is more susceptible to these interaction effects than the larger body. In an aim to predict the manoeuvring performance of an AUV under the effects of the interaction, the Australian Maritime College (AMC) has conducted a series of computer simulations and captive model experiments. A numerical model was developed to simulate pure sway motion of an AUV at different lateral and longitudinal positions relative to a larger underwater vehicle using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFDs). The variables investigated include the surge force, sway force and the yaw moment coefficients acting on the AUV due to interaction effects, which were in turn validated against experimental results. A simplified method is presented to obtain the hydrodynamic coefficients of an AUV when operating close to a larger underwater body by transforming the single body hydrodynamic coefficients of the AUV using the steady-state interaction forces. This method is considerably less time consuming than traditional methods. Furthermore, the inverse of this method (i.e. to obtain the steady state interaction force) is also presented to obtain the steady-state interaction force at multiple lateral separations efficiently. Both the CFD model and the simplified methods have been validated against the experimental data and are capable of providing adequate interaction predictions. Such methods are critical for accurate prediction of vehicle performance under varying conditions present in real life.     

Maneuvering modeling and simulation of AUV dynamic systems with Euler-Rodriguez quaternion method

The purpose of this study is to develop maneuvering models and systems of a simulator to improve the motion performance of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) at the preliminary design stages in advance. The AUVs simulation systems based on the standard submarine equations of motion in six-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) integrated with the Euler-Rodriguez quaternion method for representing singularity-free AUV attitude and time-saving calculation, and with a nonlinear control model for maneuvering and depth control simulations, time-marching in the fourth-order Runge-Kutta scheme. For validation of the simulation codes, results of the ISiMI AUV open-loop tests including turning test and zigzag test as well as an AUV simulator on the basis of Euler-angle method were used to compare with the quaternion-based AUV simulator. The computational results from the proposed simulator agree well with those from both the ISiMI AUV experiments and the Euler-angle based simulations. Additionally, a new maneuvering procedure, namely "put-out" was implemented to test directional stability for a large-scale AUV in the proposed AUV simulator that can be considered for vehicles in space as well as in constrained planes.     

Modeling and simulation of autonomous underwater vehicles: design and implementation

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have many scientific, military, and commercial applications because of their potential capabilities and significant cost-performance improvements over traditional means for performing search and survey. The development of a reliable sampling platform requires a thorough system design and many costly at-sea trials during which systems specifications can be validated. Modeling and simulation provides a cost-effective measure to carry out preliminary component, system (hardware and software), and mission testing and verification, thereby reducing the number of potential failures in at-sea trials. An accurate simulation can help engineers to find hidden errors in the AUV embedded software and gain insights into the AUV operations and dynamics. This paper reviews our research work on real-time physics-based modeling and simulation for our AUVs. The modeling component includes vehicle dynamics, environment and sensor characteristics. The simulation component consists of stand-alone versus hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) implementation, for both single as well as multiple vehicles. In particular, implementation issues with regard to multitasking system resources will be addressed. The main contribution of this paper is to present the rationale for our simulation architecture and the lessons learned.     

Object detection and tracking method of AUV based on acoustic vision

This paper describes a new framework for object detection and tracking of AUV including underwater acoustic data interpolation, underwater acoustic images segmentation and underwater objects tracking. This framework is applied to the design of vision-based method for AUV based on the forward looking sonar sensor. First, the real-time data flow (underwater acoustic images) is pre-processed to form the whole underwater acoustic image, and the relevant position information of objects is extracted and determined. An improved method of double threshold segmentation is proposed to resolve the problem that the threshold cannot be adjusted adaptively in the traditional method. Second, a representation of region information is created in light of the Gaussian particle filter. The weighted integration strategy combining the area and invariant moment is proposed to perfect the weight of particles and to enhance the tracking robustness. Results obtained on the real acoustic vision platform of AUV during sea trials are displayed and discussed. They show that the proposed method can detect and track the moving objects underwater online, and it is effective and robust.