Docking Method for Hovering-Type AUVs Based on Acoustic and Optical Landmarks

Toshihiro Maki; Yoshiki Sato; Takumi Matsuda; Kotohiro Masuda; Takashi Sakamaki

doi:10.20965/jrm.2018.p0055

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JRM Vol.30 No.1 pp. 55-64

doi: 10.20965/jrm.2018.p0055

(2018)

Paper:

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Docking Method for Hovering-Type AUVs Based on Acoustic and Optical Landmarks

Toshihiro Maki, Yoshiki Sato, Takumi Matsuda, Kotohiro Masuda, and Takashi Sakamaki

Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo
4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan

Received:

May 15, 2017

Accepted:

September 25, 2017

Published:

February 20, 2018

Keywords:

AUV, seafloor station, navigation, docking, non-contact charging

Abstract

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have the advantage of not requiring tether cables or human control; however, they have limited energy, and must be recovered before their batteries drain completely. To charge AUV batteries efficiently, in-situ charging systems have attracted much attention. This study proposes a method for hovering-type AUVs to dock at a seafloor station, for long-term deployment of the system with minimum human intervention. In the proposed method, an AUV docks at a seafloor station autonomously, based on both acoustic and optical landmarks attached to the station. The AUV stochastically estimates its position and orientation with regard to the station, and controls itself to land on the exact docking spot at the station. When docking is completed, the station begins electric power transmission via non-contact charging devices. The proposed method was evaluated on the AUV Tri-TON 2, and a seafloor station testbed. The vehicle succeeded in autonomous docking at the station in both the tank and sea trials. Non-contact charging during docking was also verified during the tank experiments, using the non-contact charging devices developed by our group.

AUV Tri-TON 2 docked during sea trial

Cite this article as:

T. Maki, Y. Sato, T. Matsuda, K. Masuda, and T. Sakamaki, “Docking Method for Hovering-Type AUVs Based on Acoustic and Optical Landmarks,” J. Robot. Mechatron., Vol.30 No.1, pp. 55-64, 2018.

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References

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[2] Y. Nishida, T. Ura, T. Nakatani, T. Sakamaki, J. Kojima, Y. Itoh, and K. Kim, “Autonomous Underwater Vehicle “Tuna-Sand” for Image Observation of the Seafloor at a Low Altitude,” J. of Robotics and Mechatronics, Vol.26, No.4, pp. 519-521, 2014.
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[14] T. Maki, R. T. Shiroku, Y. Sato, T. Matsuda, T. Sakamaki, and T. Ura, “Docking Method for Hovering Type AUVs by Acoustic and Visual Positioning,” Proc. of Underwater Technology 2013, 2013.
[15] Y. Sato, T. Maki, K. Masuda, T. Matsuda, and T. Sakamaki, “Autonomous Docking of Hovering Type AUV to Seafloor Charging Station based on acoustic and visual sensing,” Proc. of Underwater Technology 2017, 2017.
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[18] S. Thrun, W. Burgard, and D. Fox, “Probabilistic robotics,” Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, pp. 96-113, 2005.
[19] T. Maki, Y. Sato, T. Matsuda, R. T. Shiroku, and T. Sakamaki, “AUV Tri-TON 2: An intelligent platform for detailed survey of hydrothermal vent fields,” Proc. of IEEE AUV 2014, 2014.
[20] T. Maki, T. Matsuda, T. Sakamaki, T. Ura, and J. Kojima, “Navigation Method for Underwater Vehicles Based on Mutual Acoustical Positioning With a Single Seafloor Station,” IEEE J. of Oceanic Engineering, Vol.38, No.1, pp. 167-177, 2013.
[21] T. Maki, K. Masuda, and H. Suzuki, “Development of a noncontact charging system by electromagnetic field resonant coupling for long-term deployment of a hovering type AUV,” Proc. of the 2014 JSME Conf. on Robotics and Mechatronics, 2014 (in Japanese).

This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationa License.

[1] [1] K. Kim and T. Ura, “A Cruising AUV r2D4: Intelligent Multirole Platform for Deep-Sea Survey,” J. of Robotics and Mechatronics, Vol.26, No.2, pp. 262-263, 2014.

[2] [2] Y. Nishida, T. Ura, T. Nakatani, T. Sakamaki, J. Kojima, Y. Itoh, and K. Kim, “Autonomous Underwater Vehicle “Tuna-Sand” for Image Observation of the Seafloor at a Low Altitude,” J. of Robotics and Mechatronics, Vol.26, No.4, pp. 519-521, 2014.

[3] [3] Y. Nishida, K. Nagahashi, T. Sato, A. Bodenmann, B. Thornton, A. Asada, and T. Ura, “Autonomous Underwater Vehicle “BOSS-A” for Acoustic and Visual Survey of Manganese Crusts,” J. of Robotics and Mechatronics, Vol.28, No.1, pp. 91-94, 2016.

[4] [4] M. Purcell, N. Forrester, T. Austin, R. Goldsborouge, B. Allen, and C. von Alt, “A docking system for REMUS, an autonomous underwater vehicle,” Proc. of MTS/IEEE OCEANS ’97, Vol.2, pp. 1132-1136, 1997.

[5] [5] B. Allen, T. Austin, N. Forrester, R. Goldsborough, A. Kukulya, G. Packard, M. Purcell, and R. Stokey, “Autonomous Docking Demonstrations with Enhanced REMUS Technology,” Proc. of IEEE OCEANS 2006, pp. 1-6, 2006.

[6] [6] R. S. McEwen, B. W. Hobson, L. McBride, and J. G. Bellingham, “Docking control system for a 54-cm-diameter (21-in) auv,” IEEE J. of Oceanic Engineering, Vol.33 No.4, pp. 550-562, 2008.

[7] [7] M. A. Moline and O. Schofield, “Remote Real-Time Video-Enabled Docking for Underwater Autonomous Platforms,” J. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, Vol.26, No.12, pp. 2665-2672, 2009.

[8] [8] K. Kawaguchi, S. Kaneko, T. Nishida, and T. Komine, “Construction of the DONET real-time seafloor observatory for earthquakes and tsunami monitoring,” Seafloor Observatories, pp. 211-228, Springer, 2015.

[9] [9] C. R. Barnes, M. M. Best, F. R. Johnson, L. Pautet, and B. Pirenne, “Challenges, benefits, and opportunities in installing and operating cabled ocean observatories: Perspectives from NEPTUNE Canada,” IEEE J. of Oceanic Engineering, Vol.38, No.1, pp. 144-157, 2013.

[10] [10] M. Wirtz, M. Hildebrandt, and C. Gaudig, “Design and Test of a Robust Docking System for Hovering AUVs,” Proc. of OCEANS 2012, 2012.

[11] [11] T. Maki, A. Kume, and T. Ura, “Volumetric mapping of tubeworm colonies in Kagoshima Bay through autonomous robotic surveys,” Deep-Sea Research I, Vol.58, pp. 757-767, 2011.

[12] [12] S. B. Williams et al., “Monitoring of Benthic Reference Sites: Using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle,” IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, Vol.19, No.1, pp. 73-84, 2012.

[13] [13] D. R. Yoerger, M. Jakuba, A. M. Bradley, and B. Bingham, “Techniques for Deep Sea Near Bottom Survey Using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle,” The Int. J. of Robotics Research, Vol.26, No.1, pp. 41-54, 2007.

[14] [14] T. Maki, R. T. Shiroku, Y. Sato, T. Matsuda, T. Sakamaki, and T. Ura, “Docking Method for Hovering Type AUVs by Acoustic and Visual Positioning,” Proc. of Underwater Technology 2013, 2013.

[15] [15] Y. Sato, T. Maki, K. Masuda, T. Matsuda, and T. Sakamaki, “Autonomous Docking of Hovering Type AUV to Seafloor Charging Station based on acoustic and visual sensing,” Proc. of Underwater Technology 2017, 2017.

[16] [16] J. Y. Park, B. H. Jun, P. M. Lee, and J. Oh, “Experiments on vision guided docking of an autonomous underwater vehicle using one camera,” Ocean Engineering 2009, Vol.36, pp. 48-61, 2009.

[17] [17] H. Kondo, K. Okayama, J. K. Choi, T. Hotta, M. Kondo, T. Okazaki, H. Singh, Z. Chao, K. Nitadori, M. Igarashi, and T. Fukuchi, “Passive Acoustic and Optical Guidance for Underwater Vehicles,” Proc. of OCEANS 2012-Yeosu, 2012.

[18] [18] S. Thrun, W. Burgard, and D. Fox, “Probabilistic robotics,” Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, pp. 96-113, 2005.

[19] [19] T. Maki, Y. Sato, T. Matsuda, R. T. Shiroku, and T. Sakamaki, “AUV Tri-TON 2: An intelligent platform for detailed survey of hydrothermal vent fields,” Proc. of IEEE AUV 2014, 2014.

[20] [20] T. Maki, T. Matsuda, T. Sakamaki, T. Ura, and J. Kojima, “Navigation Method for Underwater Vehicles Based on Mutual Acoustical Positioning With a Single Seafloor Station,” IEEE J. of Oceanic Engineering, Vol.38, No.1, pp. 167-177, 2013.

[21] [21] T. Maki, K. Masuda, and H. Suzuki, “Development of a noncontact charging system by electromagnetic field resonant coupling for long-term deployment of a hovering type AUV,” Proc. of the 2014 JSME Conf. on Robotics and Mechatronics, 2014 (in Japanese).