用于水下潜器的惯性导航系统安装和初始对准技术

水下潜器通常采用捷联惯性导航和多普勒计程仪组合导航系统。为提高惯性导航系统的导航精度,保障水下潜器顺利作业,文章以高性能惯导系统PHINS为例,介绍其安装和初始对准技术。PHINS在安装时须计算其与船体的偏差以及与船体和外部传感器的力臂,尤其与多普勒计程仪组合时应执行传感器自动对准程序;PHINS的初始对准是其精确导航的前提,可在海上或静态时进行;惯导系统的安装误差和初始对准精度对于其导航精度具有决定性的影响。     

TOBI image processing-the state of the art

TOBI (Towed Ocean Bottom Instrument) is a deep-tow sidescan sonar vehicle from which sidescan sonar data are now routinely collected and archived. This paper describes the algorithms developed for detailed processing of TOBI data. Sonar imagery has a characteristic set of processing challenges and these are addressed. TOBI provides a very large sonar dataset, and to limit the difficulties of handling and processing these data, the raw data are subjected to a data reduction technique prior to further processing. Slant-range correction is improved by editing vehicle altitude data using a median filter. Noise on TOBI imagery can appear in two main forms; speckle noise and line dropouts. Speckle noise is removed by a small median difference kernel and line dropouts are removed using a ratio of two box-car filters, each with appropriate thresholding techniques. Precise geocoding of the imagery requires an accurate estimate of vehicle location, and a method of calculation is presented. Two optional processing algorithms are also; presented; deblurring of imagery to improve along-track resolution at far range, and the suppression of a surface reflection return which may occur when TOBI is operated in relatively shallow water. Several of the techniques presented can be transcribed and modified to suit other datasets     

Mine avoidance techniques for underwater vehicles

It is shown that by implementing certain mine avoidance techniques, an underwater vehicle equipped with an obstacle avoidance sonar (OAS) and a navigation system can safely navigate an unknown minefield. The mine avoidance techniques take into account the physical limitations of the sonar and the navigation system, the maneuverability constraints on the underwater vehicle, and the required safe standoff distance from all mines. Extensive computer simulations have verified the mine avoidance capability in more than 50 different minefields. In all 50 simulations the vehicle reached a predetermined end point and maintained at least the specified, minimum safe standoff distance from each mine. The simulation accurately models the major difficulties associated with the sonar, the navigation system, and the vehicle dynamics. The sonar model includes surface, bottom, and volume reverberation; thermal, ambient, and flow noises; actual receiver and projector beam patterns; and false alarms and missed detections. The navigation system model contains the effects of biases, random noises, and scale factor errors. The vehicle dynamic model simulates angular velocities and accelerations associated with underwater vehicles     

Oceanic incoherent Doppler sonar spectral analysis by conventional and finite-parameter modeling methods

The spectral structure of oceanic incoherent Doppler sonar data is analyzed with Fourier and two finite-parameter modeling methods (Spectral Moment Estimation (SME) and AutoRegressive (AR)). Fourier spectral analysis, applied to long-range segments of echo return data, validates a theoretical point scattering model. It is demonstrated that Fourier spectral techniques, applied to data from incoherent sonar systems, cannot be used to probe oceanic spectral and velocity fields on the scales that frequently are important in oceanographic applications. The finite-parameter methods model the spectral structure on closely spaced range intervals. The SME method calculates the first moment of the Doppler spectrum at each range interval and the AR method provides spectral estimates at these same intervals. Trade-offs in estimating scatterer radial velocity using the various algorithms are considered. It is shown that a frequency-integrated AR technique has velocity estimation performance comparable to the SME method. In addition, the AR technique reveals that several regions of data possess asymmetric spectral structure. The implications of this spectral structure for oceanic velocity estimates are discussed.     

基于声呐图像的深海采矿车组合定位导航算法

实现高精度的定位导航是深海采矿车完成海底工作任务的基础条件。在采矿车行进过程中,声呐设备生成的图像信息能够反映海底场景的变化,从而体现采矿车本身的运动,由此建立了一种声呐图像里程计,并将其与轮式里程计和USBL测量数据相结合提出了一种深海采矿车组合定位导航算法。首先对多波束前视声呐图像进行预处理,然后使用Canny算法进行特征检测并对特征点云进行配准,再结合声呐成像原理构建了声呐图像里程计运动模型,最后通过轮式里程计运动模型推导预测方程、声呐图像里程计运动模型和USBL测量数据推导更新方程,利用EKF（extended Kalman filter）算法实现基于多传感器融合的定位与姿态估计。海试数据验证了该组合定位算法能实现轮式里程计、声呐里程计和超短基线在速度、位置、艏向角估计、定位速率的精度互补,具有一定的有效性和精确性,该算法为深海采矿车的定位与导航算法研发提供了参考。     

Enhancement of the inertial navigation system for the Morpheusautonomous underwater vehicles

This paper presents the design and development of an enhanced inertial navigation system that is to be integrated into the Morpheus autonomous underwater vehicle at Florida Atlantic University. The inertial measurement unit is based on the off-the-shelf Honeywell HG1700-AG25 3-axis ring-laser gyros and three-axis accelerometers and is aided with ground speed measurements obtained using an RDI Doppler-velocity-log sonar. An extended Kalman filter has been developed, which fuses together asynchronously the inertial and Doppler data, as well as the differential Global Positioning System positional fixes whenever they are available. A complementary filter was implemented to provide a much smoother and stable attitude estimate. Thus far, preliminary study has been made on characterizing the inertial navigation system-based navigation system performance, and the corresponding results and analyzes are provided     

Hypothesis grids: improving long baseline navigation for autonomous underwater vehicles

Navigation continues to fundamentally limit our ability to understand the underwater world. Long baseline navigation uses range measurements to localize a remote vehicle using acoustic time-of-flight estimates. For autonomous surveys requiring high precision navigation, current solutions do not satisfy the performance or robustness requirements. Hypothesis grids represent the survey environment capturing the spatial dependence of acoustic range measurement, providing a framework for improving navigation precision and increasing the robustness with respect to non-Gaussian range observations. Prior association probabilities quantify the measurement quality as a belief that subsequent observations will correspond to the direct-path, a multipath, or an outlier as a function of the estimated location. Such a characterization is directly applicable to Bayesian navigation techniques. The algorithm for creating the representation has three main components: Mixed-density sensor model using Gaussian and uniform probability distributions, measurement classification and multipath model identification using expectation-maximization (EM), and grid-based spatial representation. We illustrate the creation of a set of hypothesis grids, the feasibility of the approach, and the utility of the representation using survey data from the autonomous benthic explorer (ABE).     

A method for estimating the sub-wavelength sway of a sonar towfish

The essentially random motion of the towfish in a side scan sonar system limits the fidelity of the resultant image. Although corrective techniques have been developed to deal with the gross departures from a set of regular amplitude versus range samples along a straight locus as well as the gross rotational errors, sub-wavelength displacement errors are mostly ignored. This paper suggests a technique to estimate the appropriate displacement errors from the statistics of the measured data when there are few or no strong scatterers on an otherwise featureless sea floor. As it happens, the proposed technique is somewhat similar to an existing optical technique but is new to underwater sonar. We show in a series of simulated trials that it is possible to estimate the resultant sub-wavelength horizontal departure from a straight locus under some (hopefully) realistic operating conditions     

高精度和高分辨率水下地形地貌探测技术综述

为提高我国水下地形地貌探测技术水平,促进对海洋的科学认知和高效开发利用,文章综述高精度和高分辨率水下地形地貌探测技术研发进展,并分析关键技术发展方向。研究结果表明:采用机载激光、多波束、侧扫声呐、浅地层剖面、双频识别声呐、合成孔径声呐和水下三维扫描声呐等探测技术以及无人船、水下机器人和海底观测网等探测平台,可获取高精度和高分辨率水下地形地貌信息;应在提高设备性能、减小探测误差和完善数据算法等方面加大研究力度,重点发展综合探测技术,从而全面和清晰地反映水下地形地貌。     

ROC evaluation of adaptive beamforming in a simulated shallow waterenvironment

An optimal evaluation of adaptive beamforming techniques in a reverberation-limited shallow water environment is presented. A comprehensive simulation, using the sonar simulation toolset (SST) software in conjunction with the generic sonar model (GSRT) software, is used to create realistic beam data complete with target, noise, and reverberation. Adaptive beamforming techniques from the recursive least squares (RLS) family are applied to enhance detection performance via interference rejection. Two techniques are considered: linearly constrained beamforming using the minimum variance distortionless response (MVOR) beamformer and constrained adaptive noise cancelling (ANC) using the joint process least squares lattice (JPLSL) algorithm. Target detection trials, summarized in the form of receiver operator characteristics (ROC), are used to evaluate performance of the two adaptive beamformers. Results demonstrate mixed performance in reverberation-limited shallow water environments     

Image registration for the underwater inspection using the maximum a posteriori technique

Describes an image registration method for underwater inspection tasks. A remotely operated vehicle equipped with a video camera and a scanning sonar is used as the testbed vehicle. Each image of the underwater scene is saved along with the video camera's position and orientation. The images are then combined to create a large composite picture of the underwater structure being inspected. This method is based upon a maximum a posteriori estimation technique and provides smooth and robust estimates of image shifts. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of this highly promising underwater inspection procedure.     

Geometrical aspects of a sonar-based navigation system for underwater vehicles

A novel self-contained navigation system has been devised for underwater vehicles operating in and around offshore installations. This system matches data from a sector-scanning sonar device to a computer model of the installation. The paper begins by highlighting the existing approaches to subsea navigation before outlining the main features of the proposed system. It then concentrates on a key component of this system which is a method for calculating the position and heading of an underwater vehicle navigating in the vincinity of tubular steel structures. An iterative solution method is presented which incorporates six degree of freedom vehicle motions and this is verified in a series of laboratory experiments with various arrangements of structural members and using a commercial sonar device. The key features, applications and performance of this method are discussed. The main conclusion is that the proposed method for calculating the position and heading of an underwater vehicle contributes towards achieving an accurate and reliable subsea navigation capability.     

A method for estimating the physical and acoustic properties of the sea bed using chirp sonar data

This paper proposes a method, based on the Biot model, for estimating the physical and acoustic properties of surficial ocean sediments from normal incidence reflection data acquired by a chirp sonar. The inversion method estimates sediment porosity from reflection coefficient measurements and, using the estimated porosity and the measured change in fast wave attenuation with frequency, estimates the permeability of the top sediment layer. The spectral ratio of echoes from the interface at the base of the upper sediment layer and from the sediment-water interface provides a measure of the change in attenuation with frequency. Given the porosity and permeability estimates, the Kozeny-Carman equation provides the mean grain size and the inversion method yields the acoustic properties of top sediment layer. The inversion technique is tested using chirp sonar data collected at the 1999 Sediment Acoustics Experiment (SAX-99) site. Remote estimates of porosity, grain size, and permeability agree with direct measurements of those properties.     

Wavimeter

A method of extracting wave parameters from surface displacement measured from a moving platform is presented. The article first presents a method for accurately measuring surface displacement using a single beam altimeter and heave sensor. A least squares approach is presented to estimate wave parameters using vessel velocity and perceived wave frequency that eliminates Doppler due to vessel motion. Two techniques for estimating wave frequency are presented: a block data method using MUSIC and a real-time method using demodulation. Sea trial results demonstrate that this method is as effective as a WaveRider buoy for estimating wave parameters.     

Concurrent mapping and localization using sidescan sonar

This paper describes and evaluates a concurrent mapping and localization (CML) algorithm suitable for localizing an autonomous underwater vehicle. The proposed CML algorithm uses a sidescan sonar to sense the environment. The returns from the sonar are used to detect landmarks in the vehicle's vicinity. These landmarks are used, in conjunction with a vehicle model, by the CML algorithm to concurrently build an absolute map of the environment and to localize the vehicle in absolute coordinates. As the vehicle moves forward, the areas covered by a forward-look sonar overlap, whereas little or no overlap occurs when using sidescan sonar. It has been demonstrated that numerous reobservations by a forward-look sonar of the landmarks can be used to perform CML. Multipass missions, such as sets of parallel and regularly spaced linear tracks, allow a few reobservations of each landmark with sidescan sonar. An evaluation of the CML algorithm using sidescan sonar is made on this type of trajectory. The estimated trajectory provided by the CML algorithm shows significant jerks in the positions and heading brought about by the corrections that occur when a landmark is reobserved. Thus, this trajectory is not useful to mosaic the sea bed. This paper proposes the implementation of an optimal smoother on the CML solution. A forward stochastic map is used in conjunction with a backward Rauch-Tung-Striebel filter to provide the smoothed trajectory. This paper presents simulation and real results and shows that the smoothed CML solution helps to produce a more accurate navigation solution and a smooth navigation trajectory. This paper also shows that the qualitative value of the mosaics produced using CML is far superior to those that do not use it.     

Parametric array Doppler sonar

A Doppler sonar technique capable of measuring ground speed and distance traveled at extreme ocean depths is described. The technique uses nonlinear acoustic effects to create the narrow beams required. Performance estimates are calculated and parameters for a test system chosen. Sonar Pond test results of transmitter beam patterns and source levels are given. The sea trials conducted in July and August of 1975, aboard the R. V. Sperry Star off New Providence Island, are described. Evaluation of data taken in water depths to 11 000 ft is made and substantial agreement with original estimates is demonstrated. The feasibility of an accurate, all ocean capability, dead reckoning navigator is thus confirmed.     

Towfish orientation and position estimation

The towfish location and orientation problems that arise in using side-scan sonar to detect objects on the sea bottom are treated separately. Data which locate the towfish relative to the ship are usually deteriorated by multipath receptions and other effects. In order to overcome this serious degradation in the location measurements, a modified Kalman filter is proposed. An estimate of the state transition matrix for this filter is derived, and a means of switching between two Kalman gains is suggested. The feasibility of the proposed filter is justified by a case study. Improved estimates of towfish pitch and heading measurements are obtained by a separate system employing model identification and subsequent Kalman filtering. Application of these methods to data from similar towed side-scan sonar systems should yield significant gains in object location accuracy     

System concept and results of the Canadian Aerial Hydrography Pilot Project

Abstract

The Canadian program for obtaining hydrographic data by aerial methods consists of merging laser bathymeter data with photogrammetric depth data. The main deficiency of the photogrammetric approach for bathymetric measurements is that incomplete stereomodels can occur in areas where little or no land appears. This problem is overcome by using an inertial navigation system (INS) hardmounted to the aerial camera to provide the orientation parameters of position and attitude for each photograph. In order to meet the high accuracy requirement, the INS and other complementary navigation data are processed through a post‐mission track recovery software package. The photogrammetric depths are improved further by merging them with the waterline height information and the laser bathymeter depths using a least‐squares adjustment algorithm. The photogrammetric compilation, depth measurements, shoreline plots, and laser bathymeter integration is done in an analytical stereoplotter. This instrument provides an on‐line refraction correction necessary because of the two‐media mode of operation. Results of a recent pilot project indicate that the integrated system is capable of obtaining depth measurements that agree with echo sounder depth measurements to a precision of .65 m (RMS), and that it can position measured depths to a precision of .74 m (RMS) relative to local control.     

Image projection and composition with a front-scan sonar system: methods and experimental results

This paper describes a complete set of methods for arranging acoustic images of the sea floor by projecting and interpolating data gathered with a novel front-scan sonar system, developed in the context of the EC-COSMOS project. Traditional sonar imaging systems for sea-floor analysis generate acoustic images during the motion of a ship; on the contrary, the front-scan sonar system not only provides information unreachable by traditional devices (blind region), but also does not need the ship motion to compose a whole image of the sea floor. Two different projection methods have been devised: a simpler analytical solution and a more precise ray-tracing approach. The development of an analytical solution is possible under the classical assumptions about a flat sea floor and a constant sound velocity profile; when these hypotheses are not realistic or a more precise image is required, a numerical solution obtained by a ray-tracing approach can be applied, which is based on some ad hoc solutions worked out for the front-scan sonar system. To move from the projection results to an image defined over a dense matrix of pixels, an interpolation stage is needed. To this end, an algorithm based on the generation of virtual-beam signals (only where necessary) has been tested and compared with more-traditional techniques. The potentials of the proposed projection and interpolation methods have been evaluated and some comparisons have been made, using real data gathered with the COSMOS sonar prototype during trials at sea.