Underwater Docking Approach and Homing to Enable Persistent Operation
One of the main limiting factors in deployment of marine robots is the issue of energy sustainability. This is particularly challenging for traditional propeller-driven autonomous underwater vehicles which operate using energy intensive thrusters. One emerging technology to enable persistent perform...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Robotics and AI |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frobt.2021.621755/full |
| _version_ | 1818610428173877248 |
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| author | Brian R. Page Reeve Lambert Jalil Chavez‐Galaviz Nina Mahmoudian |
| author_facet | Brian R. Page Reeve Lambert Jalil Chavez‐Galaviz Nina Mahmoudian |
| author_sort | Brian R. Page |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | One of the main limiting factors in deployment of marine robots is the issue of energy sustainability. This is particularly challenging for traditional propeller-driven autonomous underwater vehicles which operate using energy intensive thrusters. One emerging technology to enable persistent performance is the use of autonomous recharging and retasking through underwater docking stations. This paper presents an integrated navigational algorithm to facilitate reliable underwater docking of autonomous underwater vehicles. Specifically, the algorithm dynamically re-plans Dubins paths to create an efficient trajectory from the current vehicle position through approach into terminal homing. The path is followed using integral line of sight control until handoff to the terminal homing method. A light tracking algorithm drives the vehicle from the handoff location into the dock. In experimental testing using an Oceanserver Iver3 and Bluefin SandShark, the approach phase reached the target handoff within 2 m in 48 of 48 tests. The terminal homing phase was capable of handling up to 5 m offsets with approximately 70% accuracy (12 of 17 tests). In the event of failed docking, a Dubins path is generated to efficiently drive the vehicle to re-attempt docking. The vehicle should be able to successfully dock in the majority of foreseeable scenarios when re-attempts are considered. This method, when combined with recent work on docking station design, intelligent cooperative path planning, underwater communication, and underwater power transfer, will enable true persistent undersea operation in the extremely dynamic ocean environment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T15:14:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-caf15abb4eaf4cd591461d47a465d884 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-9144 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T15:14:16Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Robotics and AI |
| spelling | doaj.art-caf15abb4eaf4cd591461d47a465d8842022-12-21T22:26:51ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Robotics and AI2296-91442021-03-01810.3389/frobt.2021.621755621755Underwater Docking Approach and Homing to Enable Persistent OperationBrian R. PageReeve LambertJalil Chavez‐GalavizNina MahmoudianOne of the main limiting factors in deployment of marine robots is the issue of energy sustainability. This is particularly challenging for traditional propeller-driven autonomous underwater vehicles which operate using energy intensive thrusters. One emerging technology to enable persistent performance is the use of autonomous recharging and retasking through underwater docking stations. This paper presents an integrated navigational algorithm to facilitate reliable underwater docking of autonomous underwater vehicles. Specifically, the algorithm dynamically re-plans Dubins paths to create an efficient trajectory from the current vehicle position through approach into terminal homing. The path is followed using integral line of sight control until handoff to the terminal homing method. A light tracking algorithm drives the vehicle from the handoff location into the dock. In experimental testing using an Oceanserver Iver3 and Bluefin SandShark, the approach phase reached the target handoff within 2 m in 48 of 48 tests. The terminal homing phase was capable of handling up to 5 m offsets with approximately 70% accuracy (12 of 17 tests). In the event of failed docking, a Dubins path is generated to efficiently drive the vehicle to re-attempt docking. The vehicle should be able to successfully dock in the majority of foreseeable scenarios when re-attempts are considered. This method, when combined with recent work on docking station design, intelligent cooperative path planning, underwater communication, and underwater power transfer, will enable true persistent undersea operation in the extremely dynamic ocean environment.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frobt.2021.621755/fullmarine robot navigationautonomous underwater dockingunderwater docking techniquemarine roboticsunderwater robotautonomous underwater vehicle |
| spellingShingle | Brian R. Page Reeve Lambert Jalil Chavez‐Galaviz Nina Mahmoudian Underwater Docking Approach and Homing to Enable Persistent Operation Frontiers in Robotics and AI marine robot navigation autonomous underwater docking underwater docking technique marine robotics underwater robot autonomous underwater vehicle |
| title | Underwater Docking Approach and Homing to Enable Persistent Operation |
| title_full | Underwater Docking Approach and Homing to Enable Persistent Operation |
| title_fullStr | Underwater Docking Approach and Homing to Enable Persistent Operation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Underwater Docking Approach and Homing to Enable Persistent Operation |
| title_short | Underwater Docking Approach and Homing to Enable Persistent Operation |
| title_sort | underwater docking approach and homing to enable persistent operation |
| topic | marine robot navigation autonomous underwater docking underwater docking technique marine robotics underwater robot autonomous underwater vehicle |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frobt.2021.621755/full |
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