In this paper, we examine the issues associated with docking autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) operating within an Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network (AOSN). We present a system based upon an acoustic ultrashort baseline system that allows the AUV to approach the dock from any direction. A passive latch on the AUV and a pole on the dock accomplish the task of mechanically docking the vehicle. We show that our technique for homing is extremely robust in the face of the two dominant sources of error-namely the presence of currents and the presence of magnetic anomalies. Our strategy for homing is independent of the initial bearing of the dock to the AUV, includes a method for detecting when the vehicle has missed the dock, and automatically ensures that the AUV is in a position to retry homing with a greater chance of success. Our approach is seen to be extremely successful in homing the vehicle to the dock, mechanically attaching itself to the dock, aligning inductive cores for data and power transfer, and undocking at the start of a fresh mission. Once the AUV is on the dock, we present a methodology that allows us to achieve the complex tasks with ensuring that the AUV is securely docked, periodically checking vehicle status, reacting to a vehicle that requires charging, tracking it when it is out on a mission, archiving and transmitting via satellite the data that the AUV collects during its missions, as well as providing a mechanism for researchers removed from the site to learn about vehicle status and command high-level missions. The dock is capable of long-term deployments at a remote site while respecting the constraints - low power, small size, low computational energy, low bandwidth, and little or no user input - imposed by the amalgamation of acoustic, electronic and mechanical components that comprise the entire system.

Docking for an autonomous ocean sampling network

Central to the successful operation of an autonomous undersea vehicle (AUV) is the capability to return to a dock, such that consistent recovery of the AUV is practical. Vehicle orientation becomes increasingly important in the final stages of the docking, as large changes in orientation near the dock are impractical and often not possible. A number of homing technologies have been proposed and tested, with acoustic homing the most prevalent. If AUV orientation is required as well as bearing and distance to the dock, an acoustic homing system will require high update rates, and extensive signal conditioning. An Electromagnetic Homing (EM) system is one alternative that can provide accurate measurement of the AUV position and orientation to the dock during homing. This system offers inherent advantages in defining the AUV orientation, when compared to high frequency acoustic systems. The design and testing of an EM homing system are given, with particular attention to one can be adapted to a wide class of AUVs. A number of homing, docking, and latching trials were successfully performed with the design. Homing data include dead reckoning computation and acoustic tracking of the homing track, and video documentation of homing into the dock.

Autonomous underwater vehicle homing/docking via electromagnetic guidance

Experiments on vision guided docking of an autonomous underwater vehicle using one camera

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI, Moss Landing, CA) has developed a 54-cm-diameter (21-in) docking AUV and companion docking station. This program resulted in four consecutive successful autonomous homing and docking events in the open ocean, which included downloading data, uploading a new mission plan, recharging the battery, and complete power cycling of the AUV. We describe the design, simulation, and at-sea test of the homing and docking control system.

Docking Control System for a 54-cm-Diameter (21-in) AUV

We present algorithms, systems, and experimental results for underwater data muling. In data muling a mobile agent interacts with static agents to upload, download, or transport data to a different physical location. We consider a system comprising an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) and many static Underwater Sensor Nodes (USN) networked together optically and acoustically. The AUV can locate the static nodes using vision and hover above the static nodes for data upload. We describe the hardware and software architecture of this underwater system, as well as experimental data. Â© 2006 IEEE.

Data muling over underwater wireless sensor networks using an autonomous underwater vehicle

Missions in which an autonomous undersea vehicle docks with an underwater node for the purpose of battery recharging and/or data transfer greatly increase the scope of potential applications possible with UUVs. Robust and accurate vehicle guidance to a small, simple and reliable docking structure is a critical capability which must be developed in order to achieve this end. This paper describes a simple but highly effective underwater vehicle guidance scheme which is based upon an optical quadrant tracker which locks onto a visible light source located at the dock in the same manner as a Sidewinder air-to-air missile tracks its target in air. An optical terminal guidance system based upon this concept was developed by NRaD. Optical guidance and docking was demonstrated using two autonomous underwater vehicles: a SeaGrant Odyssey IIB and the NRaD Flying Plug. The optical docking system was demonstrated to be accurate and robust for vehicle terminal guidance during field operations and provided targeting accuracy on the order of 1 centimeter under real-world conditions, even in turbid bay water. Such a system is projected to provide reliable terminal vehicle guidance to an underwater dock from a maximum acquisition range of approximately 100 meters in typical continental shelf ocean water.

S. Cowen

Papers

Underwater docking of autonomous undersea vehicles using optical terminal guidance