{"title":"Development efforts in rechargeable batteries for underwater vehicles","authors":"P.H. Smith, S. D. James, P.B. Keller","doi":"10.1109/AUV.1996.532445","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AUV.1996.532445","url":null,"abstract":"For over two decades the White Oak Laboratory of the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) has been collaborating with the battery industry to develop advanced rechargeable batteries for underwater vehicles. Many underwater vehicles use zinc/silver oxide (Zn/AgO) batteries to supply the required propulsion power. Although Zn/AgO offers the highest energy density (55 watt hours per pound, Wh/lb) of any commercial system, it cannot provide the energy densities required for significantly longer vehicle operation. To address this issue, NSWC is seeking to improve the performance of the Zn/AgO technology as well as developing new, advanced electrochemistries (Li/Li/sub 2/CoO/sub 2/, Li-ion, and molten salt). This paper reviews these efforts.","PeriodicalId":274258,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Symposium on Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Technology","volume":"74 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131968285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Conditional sequencing for land, space and sea","authors":"E. Gat","doi":"10.1109/AUV.1996.532836","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AUV.1996.532836","url":null,"abstract":"Conditional sequencing is a software technology for robust control of autonomous vehicles. It has been applied to terrestrial vehicles, and is currently being developed for use in spacecraft. Although it has not yet been applied to subsurface vehicles, we believe that the technology may prove useful under water as well as on land and in space. Conditional sequencing is a framework for implementing autonomous control algorithms that respond intelligently to unexpected contingencies. Because of the potential complexity of such algorithms, a key part of the technology is the use of high-level languages to express these algorithms. We are currently using Firby's RAPs language (1989), which was designed for mobile robots, and are developing a second language, CSL, whose design is tailored more towards spacecraft. The differences between RAPs and CSL are a reflection of the differences in the underlying structure of the problem in the terrestrial and space domains. For mobile robots, most of the contingencies arise from unexpected interactions between the robot and its environment. On spacecraft, most contingencies arise from hardware failures. We describe how RAPs and CSL meet the unique demands of their respective domains, and speculate on how the approach could be adapted for use under water.","PeriodicalId":274258,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Symposium on Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Technology","volume":"89 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131349517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
E. Nelson, S. McClaran, D. Barnett, M. McDermott, G. Williams
{"title":"Development and validation of the Texas A&M University autonomous underwater vehicle controller","authors":"E. Nelson, S. McClaran, D. Barnett, M. McDermott, G. Williams","doi":"10.1109/AUV.1996.532417","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AUV.1996.532417","url":null,"abstract":"This paper discusses the methods and results of the testing procedures used to validate the autonomous underwater vehicle controller at Texas A&M University (TAMU). Work on the controller began in January 1987. US Naval mission objectives drove many of the technical aspects, such as requirements for fault-tolerance and mission specification. A generic unmanned underwater vehicle was configured for controller technology development.","PeriodicalId":274258,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Symposium on Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Technology","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131668452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Local area navigation using sonar feature extraction and model based predictive control","authors":"D. Marco, A. Healey","doi":"10.1109/AUV.1996.532402","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AUV.1996.532402","url":null,"abstract":"This paper demonstrates a method to navigate an autonomous underwater vehicle in a local area using an acoustic sensor for position information derived from feature detection. A dynamic model of the vehicle response is used for control between location updates. Favorable results have been found using this approach, and precision positioning of the vehicle to centimeters has been accomplished. Another part of the problem is the need to provide a high frequency update of vehicle position in order to close the positioning servo loops. Using sonar image feature extraction is necessarily time consuming and therefore is performed in a tactical level process providing asynchronous data to the tactical navigator. It follows that some form of fast dead reckoning must be performed in the execution level either by INS/Doppler or by water speed and heading data or by a model based predictor. This paper deals with the use of a model based predictor technique where knowledge of the dynamic model of the vehicle provides state information to the vehicle positioning control function. The model uncertainty provides errors of course, but these are corrected through asynchronous updates from the feature extracted positions in the tactical level sonar manager. This concept has been verified by both simulation studies and by experimental validation with the NPS Phoenix vehicle.","PeriodicalId":274258,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Symposium on Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Technology","volume":"98 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121471230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Castelin, R. Manning, C. J. Robertson, L.J. Tubridy, P. Bernstein
{"title":"Exploratory development minehunting sensors for unmanned vehicles","authors":"S. Castelin, R. Manning, C. J. Robertson, L.J. Tubridy, P. Bernstein","doi":"10.1109/AUV.1996.532409","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AUV.1996.532409","url":null,"abstract":"This paper describes the technology goals and progress to date for the Office of Naval Research (ONR) exploratory development programs addressing sea mine reconnaissance and minehunting technology. These programs are developing a suite of sensors and associated signal/image processing for reconnaissance and hunting against all mine types (including buried mines) in water depths from deep water to very shallow water. The sensor technology prototypes are being developed in a modular configuration to allow deployment from a 21 inch diameter unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). For the shallow water and deep water threat of volume mines and bottom mines, a toroidal volume search sonar and an advanced side-looking sonar are being developed. Advanced signal processing technologies were developed and evaluated using the sea test data. In order to identify targets which have been classified as mine-like, an underwater electro-optic sensor has been developed and tested. Images of targets can be collected at ranges greater than five times conventional cameras.","PeriodicalId":274258,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Symposium on Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Technology","volume":"192 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121242202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mosaicking of the ocean floor in the presence of three-dimensional occlusions in visual and side-scan sonar images","authors":"S. Tiwari","doi":"10.1109/AUV.1996.532429","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AUV.1996.532429","url":null,"abstract":"We describe how an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) engaged in the task of mosaicking an unknown region of the ocean floor recognizes \"essential\" occlusions in its sensor image. The sensor on board the AUV is either a downward pointing camera or a side-scan sonar. Essential occlusions, which are created by irregularities in bathymetry, force the AUV to make diversions from its regular mosaicking path in order to prevent gaps in the mosaic. We classify features on the ocean floor which give rise to visual occlusions into three categories: knolls, furrows and dimples. Geometric conditions are derived that enable the AUV's camera to distinguish between these occlusions. We show that only furrows and dimples give rise to essential occlusions. We discuss extensions of the geometric conditions to shadows in side-scan records. There, however, the conditions are not as straightforward, and their implementation constitutes work in progress. An example is provided, which exhibits the modifications required in a visual mosaicking procedure in a complex environment.","PeriodicalId":274258,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Symposium on Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Technology","volume":"26 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122477667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Autonomous operation of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Robotic Work Package using the CETUS untethered underwater vehicle","authors":"G. Trimble","doi":"10.1109/AUV.1996.532396","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AUV.1996.532396","url":null,"abstract":"This paper describes the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Robotic Work Package's mission management, navigation and control capabilities, on-vehicle sensor signal processing adapted to the mission specific Reson 6012 \"SeaBat\" electronically scanned sonar, the autonomous Composite Endoskeletal Testbed UUV System (CETUS), and the modifications that were required to integrate them into a system for shallow water (<200 m) search, visit, and return. New developments including the incorporation of low-rate acoustic command and telemetry communications which supports a supervisory approach to the interaction with the MIRA intelligent controller are described as is the capability to transmit classification and image information of sensed subsea objects. The effectiveness of the system in the accomplishment of limited area search and detailed object inspection is described in terms of the current implementation of the Robotic Work Package and the projected capabilities of CETUS.","PeriodicalId":274258,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Symposium on Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Technology","volume":"12 2","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"113942961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
D. Barnett, S. McClaran, E. Nelson, M. McDermott, G. Williams
{"title":"Architecture of the Texas A&M Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Controller","authors":"D. Barnett, S. McClaran, E. Nelson, M. McDermott, G. Williams","doi":"10.1109/AUV.1996.532420","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AUV.1996.532420","url":null,"abstract":"Presents the software and hardware architectures of the autonomous underwater vehicle controller (AUVC) developed at Texas A&M University. It is a controller for a long range, highly reliable UUV. Capabilities include mission planning/replanning, path planning, energy management, collision avoidance, threat detection and evasion, failure diagnosis and recovery, radio communication, navigation, and recovery from its internal faults. In its first version, functions were partitioned among eighteen loosely coupled processes. Rule-based systems performed mission management and fault diagnosis, while algorithmic control systems were used for lower-level control. The original AUVC software was designed for a network of sixteen processors in planar-2 configuration, with redundant communication paths. A software component provided reliable distributed computing. The controller was tested using a simulated generic vehicle that contained twenty-one subsystems. Tests on the Large Diameter UUV (LDUUV), usin a six-processor version of the AUVC, are reported.","PeriodicalId":274258,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Symposium on Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Technology","volume":"31 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126382627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Optimizing AUV oceanographic surveys","authors":"J. Bellingham, J. S. Willcox","doi":"10.1109/AUV.1996.532439","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AUV.1996.532439","url":null,"abstract":"The objective of an oceanographic survey is to obtain the best understanding of the phenomena under study for a given amount of expended effort. This problem is complicated by the fact that the ocean usually evolves on a time scale comparable to (or faster than) the survey time. The ideal survey would be accomplished instantaneously and with infinite resolution. However, as platform limitations preclude such synoptic surveys, compromises between resolution, total survey time, and vehicle speed must be made. This paper presents a framework for optimizing uniform surveys of temporally evolving scalar fields under platform introduced constraints. Knowledge of the statistical characteristics of the ocean and the dominant physical processes are assumed. Advection is assumed to be negligible as a driving factor in temporal variations. The survey error, given by the squared difference between the true and reconstructed field, is determined as a function of the survey parameters. These in turn are subject to the physical limitations of the vehicle. Combining these constraints, we arrive at a tool which can be used to maximize survey efficiency and to assess relative efficiencies of various adaptive sampling techniques.","PeriodicalId":274258,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Symposium on Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Technology","volume":"141 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128819450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Electronically steered and focused forward-looking scan sonar","authors":"L. LeBlanc, J. Cuschieri, M. Singer, P. Beaujean","doi":"10.1109/AUV.1996.532411","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/AUV.1996.532411","url":null,"abstract":"A forward-looking sonar that generates side scan like, two dimensional high-resolution images of the sea floor has been developed and built for use by the new generation of autonomous underwater vehicles under development at Florida Atlantic University. The sonar can be used to locate sea floor and midwater targets.","PeriodicalId":274258,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of Symposium on Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Technology","volume":"46 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128890683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}