Collaborative Robot Manifold Tracker

• US 20130283926A1
• Filed: 04/23/2013
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Government Of The United States Of America, As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
• Original Assignee: The Government Of The United States Of America, As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
• Inventors: Schwartz, Ira B., Hsieh, Mong-ying Ani, Forgoston, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,972,164 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/861
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/00 Measuring the volume flow or mass flow of fluid or fluent solid material wherein the fluid passes through a meter in a continuous flow measuring a proportion of the volume flow G01F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 5/00 Measuring speed of fluids, e.g. of air stream; Measuring speed of bodies relative to fluids, e.g. of ship, of aircraft application of speed-measuring devices for measuring volume of fluid G01F
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

A collaborative control method for tracking Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs) and manifolds on flows employs at least three autonomous sensors each equipped with a local flow sensor for sensing flow in a designated fluid medium, e.g. water or air. A first flow sensor is a tracking sensor while the other sensors are herding sensors for controlling and determining the actions of the tracking sensor. The tracking sensor is positioned with respect to the herding sensors in the fluid medium such that the herding sensors maintain a straddle formation across a boundary; obtaining a local fluid flow velocity measurement from each sensor. A global fluid flow structure is predicted based on the local flow velocity measurements. In a water medium, mobile autonomous underwater flow sensors may be deployed with each tethered to a watersurface craft.

Claims

1. A collaborative control method for tracking Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs) and manifolds on flows using at least three autonomous sensors each equipped with a local flow sensor for sensing flow in a designated fluid medium, and wherein a first flow sensor is a tracking sensor and the other sensors are herding sensors for controlling and determining the actions of the tracking sensor, comprising:

deploying the sensors in the fluid medium whereby the tracking sensor is positioned with respect to the herding sensors such that the herding sensors maintain a straddle formation across a boundary;

obtaining a local fluid flow velocity measurement from each sensor; and

based on the local flow velocity measurements predicting a global fluid flow coherent structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid medium is air.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a straddling control strategy is given by

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the fluid medium is air.

5. A collaborative control method for tracking Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs) and manifolds on flows using at least three mobile autonomous underwater flow sensors, and wherein a first flow sensor is a tracking sensor and the other sensors are herding sensors for controlling and determining the actions of the tracking sensor, comprising:

deploying the sensors in a body of water whereby the tracking sensor is positioned with respect to the herding sensors such that the herding sensors maintain a straddle formation across a boundary;

obtaining a local flow velocity measurement from each sensor; and

based on the local flow velocity measurements predicting a global flow structure useful for plotting an optimal course for a vessel between two or more locations.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sensors are each tethered to an autonomous watersurface craft.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a straddling control strategy is given by

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the sensors are each tethered to an autonomous watersurface craft.