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.     

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.     

A new global alignment approach for underwater optical mapping

Lately, underwater vehicles have become important tools for exploration, monitoring and creation of maps of the seabed. Within mapping applications, the maps obtained from optical data are becoming essential in different study areas such as biological, geological and archaeological surveys, or in detection of benthic temporal changes. However, the underwater medium is very challenging for optical sensors and does not allow the area of interest to be imaged in a single image. Therefore, image mosaicing methods are necessary. Although recent advances in detection of correspondences between images have resulted in highly effective image registration methods, global alignment methods are still needed to obtain a globally coherent mosaic. In this paper, we propose a new global alignment method which works on the mosaic frame and does not require non-linear optimisation. Additionally, a simple image rectifying method is presented to reduce the down-scaling effect which might occur when minimising errors defined in the mosaic frame. Moreover, this rectifying method can also be seen as an alternative and straightforward way of incorporating different sensor information if available. The proposed framework has been tested with underwater image sequences. The resulting method is faster than its counterparts while providing the same level of registration quality.     

一种基于双通道的水下图像增强卷积神经网络

近年来各国对于海洋生物的保护意识日益强烈,用来监测海洋生物生存状态的水下机器人装备的研发是保护海洋生物资源的关键。水下相机是这类机器人在水下进行海洋生物监测时的光学感知设备。然而水下环境复杂,拍摄到的图像模糊不清,为解决水下图像模糊等问题,提出了一种基于双通道的水下图像增强卷积神经网络。在网络的编码器中采用双通道结构,其中一个通道采用了密集连接和高效通道注意力机制,提取水下图像的细节特征,另一个通道采用多尺度结构,提取原始图像的多尺度语义特征。接着,在网络中引入残差注意力模块和自适应特征融合模块,进一步优化了特征。最后将优化后的特征输入解码器重建出增强后的水下图像。试验表明：提出的网络算法在UIQM指标和Entropy指标上分别为3.005 6和7.654 7,较第二名的算法分别高出0.097 5和0.123 2。     

A deep ROV "DOLPHIN 3K": Design and performance analysis

DOLPHIN 3K is a tethered remotely operated vehicle (ROV) system for ocean bottom surveys down to a depth of 3300 m. The system will be completed in fiscal year 1986. This paper describes the design of the system, and analyzes the maneuverability of the vehicle and the transmission performance of the optical fiber data communication system.     

基于改进量子粒子群算法的AUV路径规划研究

针对海洋环境下自主水下机器人（AUV）的路径规划问题,提出了一种基于框架四叉树的改进量子粒子群算法（QPSO）,首先使用框架四叉树的方法对障碍物建模,该方法提高了建模的精度且对后续算法的效率也有极大的改进,之后设计改进的量子粒子群算法,并且结合水下环境的特殊性设计适应度函数,综合考虑航线路径长度、偏转角度以及海流影响,使得算法可以在水下环境中寻得能耗最短的解路径。最后通过仿真试验验证,相比于传统的栅格法和粒子群算法,改进量子粒子群算法的运算时间更短,收敛速度更快,其独特的适应度函数可以使AUV能更好适应水下多变的环境,且能利用海流设计能耗更小的路径,具有很大的实用价值。     

Quantitative photogrammetric analysis of digital underwater videoimagery

This paper presents a photogrammetric model for digital underwater video imagery, which has been mostly applied to qualitative analysis in the marine environment. With this model, quantitative analysis of underwater images is possible, e.g., to locate positions, calculate sizes, and measure shapes of objects from image features. The underwater photogrammetric model is based on a three-dimensional optical ray tracing technique which rigorously models imaging systems with multilens configurations and multiple refractions. The calibration procedure with two independent phases has been proven to be efficient in simplifying the computation and improving the calibration accuracy. With the current imaging system configuration and photogrammetric model, an accuracy of 0.8 cm in lateral directions and 1.2 cm along the depth direction for objects located about 2-3 m from the camera system in the object space is attainable. A PC-based digital underwater photogrammetric prototype system has been developed to implement the underwater photogrammetric model     

Decoupled stochastic mapping [for mobile robot & AUVnavigation]

This paper describes decoupled stochastic mapping (DSM), a new computationally efficient approach to large-scale concurrent mapping and localization (CML). DSM reduces the computational burden of conventional stochastic mapping by dividing the environment into multiple overlapping submap regions, each with its own stochastic map. Two new approximation techniques are utilized for transferring vehicle state information from one submap to another, yielding a constant-time algorithm whose memory requirements scale linearly with the number of submaps. The approach is demonstrated via simulations and experiments. Simulation results are presented for the case of an autonomous underwater vehicle navigating in an unknown environment with 110 and 1200 features using simulated observations of point features by a forward look sonar. Empirical tests are used to examine the consistency of the error bounds calculated by the different methods. Experimental results are also presented for an environment with 93 features using sonar data obtained in a 3 by 9 by 1 m testing tank     

SAR, NAUTILE, SAGA, ELIT--Four new vehicles for underwater work and exploration: The IFREMER approach

Manned or unmanned, towed, tethered, or acoustically remote-controlled underwater vehicles are the necessary tools of deep-ocean exploration as well as the exploitation of the continental shelf mineral resources. It is possible to identify categories of tasks for which a type of vehicle is best suited, and in each of those categories, the Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), the French agency for ocean research, has designed new sophisticated vehicles, giving to scientists and engineers a set of tools to fulfill most of their needs. SAR is a broad-range high-resolution side-scan sonar designed for detailed acoustic surveys; NAUTILE is a 6000-m capability manned submersible; SAGA is a large autonomy lock-out 600-m submersible. Finally, ELIT will be a totally autonomous vehicle for inspection of oil underwater structures.     

Large aperture seismic imaging at a convergent margin: Techniques and results from the Costa Rica seismogenic zone

In March and April 1995 a cooperative German, Costa Rican, and United States research team recorded onshore-offshore seismic data sets along the Pacific margin of Costa Rica using the R/V Ewing. Off the Nicoya Peninsula we used a linear array of ocean bottom seismometers and hydrophones (OBS/H) with onshore seismometers extending across much of the isthmus. In the central area we deployed an OBS/H areal array consisting of 30 instruments over a 9 km by 35-km area and had land stations on the Nicoya Peninsula adjacent to this marine array and also extending northeast on the main Costa Rican landmass. Our goal in these experiments was to determine the crustal velocity structure along different portions of this convergent margin and to use the dense instrument deployments to create migrated reflection images of the plate boundary zone and the subducting Cocos Plate. Our specific goal in the central area was to determine whether a subducted seamount is present at the location of the 1990, M 7 earthquake off the Nicoya Peninsula and can thus be linked to its nucleation. Subsequently we have processed the data to improve reflection signals, used the data to calculate crustal velocity models, and developed several wide-aperture migration techniques, based on a Kirchhoff algorithm, to produce reflection images. Along the northern transect we used the ocean bottom data to construct a detailed crustal velocity model, but reflections from the plate boundary and top and bottom of the subducting Cocos plate are difficult to identify and have so far produced poor images. In contrast, the land stations along this same transect recorded clear reflections from the top of the subducting plate or plate boundary, within the seismogenic zone, and we have constructed a clear image from this reflector beneath the Nicoya shelf. Data from the 3-D seismic experiment suffer from high-amplitude, coherent noise (arrivals other than reflections), and we have tried many techniques to enhance the signal to noise ratio of reflected arrivals. Due to the noise, an apparent lack of strong reflections from the plate boundary zone, and probable structural complexity, the resulting 3-D images only poorly resolve the top of the subducting Cocos Plate. The images are not able to provide compelling evidence of whether there is a subducting seamount at the 1990 earthquake hypocenter. Our results do show that OBS surveys are capable of creating images of the plate boundary zone and the subducting plate well into the seismogenic zone if coherent reflections are recorded at 1.8 km instrument spacing (2-D) and 5 km inline by 1 km crossline spacing for 3-D acquisition. However, due to typical high amplitude coherent noise, imaging results may be poorer than expected, especially in unfavorable geologic settings such as our 3-D survey area. More effective noise reduction in acquisition, possibly with the use of vertical hydrophone arrays, and in processing, with advanced multiple removal and possibly depth filtering, is required to achieve the desired detailed images of the seismogenic plate boundary zone.     

Ocean bottom refraction seismograph (OBRS)

This paper describes a pop-up ocean bottom seismograph designed primarily for refraction surveys both on the continental shelf and in deep sea. Its development is the extension of our system based on seismic detectors located on the sea floor with radio transmission of seismic signals and used for seismic refraction studies on the continental shelf. The seismic detectors (vertical geophone or hydrophone and two orthogonally mounted horizontal geophones) are located outside of the pressure vessel on the main frame. Optionally, the seismic sensors may be decoupled from the main frame assembly. This decoupling is performed by a mobile arm positioning the separate three component sensor package on the sea floor.Contribution No. 455 of the Département Scientifique, Centre Océanologique de Bretagne.     

水下滑翔机器人系统研究

水下滑翔机器人是一种新型的水下机器人,可以作为水下监测平台用于大范围、长时间的大尺度海洋环境监测作业。文中调查了水下滑翔机器人的国内外发展现状,分析了其可能的应用领域。详细介绍了中国科学院沈阳自动化研究所开发的水下滑翔机器人系统,包括载体外形优化设计、载体结构设计和控制系统设计。分析了水下滑翔机器人定常滑翔运动和空间螺旋会转运动的运动性能。     

Extending the versatility of the Bullard heat probe

A versatile probe for simultaneous studies of heat flow and near-bottom water parameters has evolved through modifications of the Bullard heat probe frame. Suitable sensor arrays have been used with this instrument to study (1) heat flow through the ocean floor, (2) water column temperature structure, (3) near-bottom current speeds, and (4) the differential cooling of water-column temperature sensors placed in a current speed gradient.Some of the advantages of such a modified Bullard probe are: (1) several parameters, including heat flow, can be measured across the sediment-water interface simultaneously, (2) the instrument frame is rigidly pinned to the ocean floor during measurement, permitting true Eulerian measurement in the water column with no effects of ship movement, swaying moorings or cable oscillation, and (3) the device is inexpensive and simple.     

In Situ Underwater Electronic Holographic Camera for Studies of Plankton

In this paper, we describe an underwater electronic holographic camera (eHoloCam) that has been developed for in situ studies of the distribution and dynamics of plankton and other marine organisms and particles. The eHoloCam uses an Nd-YAG pulsed laser to freeze-frame fast moving particles and a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensor for high-resolution image capture. Digital holograms and holographic videos are recorded at rates from 5 to 25 Hz over a period of several hours. Data is stored locally on an embedded computer. The eHoloCam is capable of recording all organisms and particles located in a water volume of 36.8 cm³ in a single hologram frame. The recorded holographic videos may subsequently be reconstructed numerically at a desired image plane. The main optical and mechanical specifications for eHoloCam are also described. To record electronic holographic videos of marine organisms, the eHoloCam was deployed from a towed sampling frame [autorecording instrumented environmental sampler (ARIES)] on the research vessel RV Scotia at speeds up to 4 kn (about 2 mldrs^-1) in the North Sea off the Shetland Isles. Various images of marine organisms obtained from this deployment are shown, together with preliminary measurements on the distribution of Calanus copepods.     

双功能潜水器结构设计分析探讨

双功能潜水器是目前国际上比较新型的可用于深海水下观察和作业的装备。既可有缆载人／无人，又可无缆载人。该潜水器最大工作深度450m，其结构材料和结构形式与以往类似的装备不同。文章对双功能潜水器耐压壳结构和载体框架设计中的一些问题进行了探讨，提出的设计思想和计算方法，这对获得一个具有最轻结构重量的实用的双功能潜水器结构具有指导意义。     

Approximate Analytical Turning Conditions for Underwater Gliders: Implications for Motion Control and Path Planning

This paper describes analysis of steady motions for underwater gliders, a type of highly efficient underwater vehicle which uses gravity for propulsion. Underwater gliders are winged underwater vehicles which locomote by modulating their buoyancy and their attitude. Several underwater gliders have been developed and have proven their worth as efficient long-distance, long-duration ocean sampling platforms. Underwater gliders are so efficient because they spend much of their flight time in stable, steady motion. Wings-level gliding flight for underwater gliders has been well studied, but analysis of steady turning flight is more subtle. This paper presents an approximate analytical expression for steady turning motion for a realistic underwater glider model. The problem is formulated in terms of regular perturbation theory, with the vehicle turn rate as the perturbation parameter. The resulting solution exhibits a special structure that suggests an efficient approach to motion control as well as a planning strategy for energy efficient paths.      

Evolutionary path planning for autonomous underwater vehicles in a variable ocean

This paper proposes a genetic algorithm (GA) for path planning of an autonomous underwater vehicle in an ocean environment characterized by strong currents and enhanced space-time variability. The goal is to find a safe path that takes the vehicle from its starting location to a mission-specified destination, minimizing the energy cost. The GA includes novel genetic operators that ensure the convergence to the global minimum even in cases where the structure (in space and time) of the current field implies the existence of different local minima. The performance of these operators is discussed. The proposed algorithm is suitable for situations in which the vehicle has to operate energy-exhaustive missions.     

一种基于视觉的水下机器人动力定位方法

以7 000 m载人潜水器的工程需求为背景,以水下单目摄像机为视觉传感器,进行了水下机器人动力定位方法研究。该动力定位方法利用视觉系统测量得到水下机器人与被观察目标之间的三维位姿关系,通过路径规划、位置控制和姿态控制分解,逐步使机器人由初始位姿逼近期望位姿并最终定位于期望位姿,从而实现了机器人的4自由度动力定位。通过水池实验验证了提出的动力定位方法,并且机器人能够抵抗恒定水流干扰和人工位置扰动。同时,该动力定位方法还可以实现机器人对被观察目标的自动跟踪。     

Design and research on the two-joint mating system of underwater vehicle

In the 21st century,people have come to the era of ocean science and ocean economy.With the development of ocean science and technology and the thorough research on the ocean,underwater mating technique has been widely used in such fields as sunk ship salvage,deep ocean workstation,submarine lifesaving aid and military affairs.In this paper,researches are made home and abroad on mating technology.Two-joint mating system of underwater vehicle is designed including plane system,three-dimensional assembly system and control system in order to increase the capacity of adapting platform obliquity and adopting rotational skirt scheme.It is clear that the system fits the working space of underwater vehicle passageway and there is no interference phenomenon in assembly design.The finite element model of the system shell and the pressurization of the joint are established.The results of the finite element computing and the pressing test are accordant,and thus it can testify that the shell material meet the need of intension and joint pressurization is reliable.Modeling of the control system is accomplished,and simulation and analysis are made,which can provide directions for the controller design of mating system of underwater vehicles.