A dynamic docking system of AUV based on bearings-only acoustic and visual coupled localization

Abstract

Dynamic docking and recovery can effectively enhance the flexibility and efficiency of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) missions while broadening the application fields of AUVs. This paper investigates AUV dynamic docking tasks based on passive sonar and monocular vision. Firstly, a dynamic docking system suitable for long distance recovery of AUVs is designed, equipped with both acoustic and optical beacons to provide guidance information at varying distances. Subsequently, for long distance guidance, an acoustic guidance scheme based on passive sonar using bearings-only information is developed, specifically including initial bearing calibration and stable tracking methods. Furthermore, for short distance guidance, a multi-sensor fusion docking localization method based on acoustic and optical guidance is designed to ensure the accuracy and stability of the final docking guidance process. Finally, real-vehicle experiments for AUV dynamic docking were conducted on the lake. The analysis of the experimental data demonstrated the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed methods.