Autonomous underwater navigation

• US 8,346,415 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2009
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Hinnant, Harris O. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US12/605,326
• Time in Patent Office: 1,165 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/21
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3826 Terrain data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0692 specially adapted for under-water vehicles

Abstract

Systems and methods for autonomous underwater navigation are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system for autonomous underwater navigation comprises an underwater communication network, at least one master controller node coupled to the underwater communication network, at least one network docking node coupled to the underwater communication network, and at least one submersible vehicle for underwater mapping at least a portion of a floor of a body of water. The submersible vehicle comprises a geolocation module to establish a geographic reference for at least one location in the underwater geographic region and an image collection module to collect images of an underwater geographic region proximate the geographic reference.

Claims

1. A submersible vehicle for autonomous underwater navigation of at least a portion of a floor of a body of water, comprising:

a geolocation module to establish a geographic reference for at least one location in the underwater geographic region; and

an image collection module to collect images of an underwater geographic region proximate the geographic reference,

wherein the submersible vehicle comprises a global positioning system (GPS) module to establish a geolocation reference.

2. The submersible vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an inertial reference system which uses inputs from the geolocation module to locate one or more features of an underwater geographic region.

3. The submersible vehicle of claim 2, wherein the inertial reference system comprises at least one of a gyroscope and an accelerometer.

4. The submersible vehicle of claim 2, further comprising a network interface module to establish a communication connection with an underwater network node, and wherein the inertial reference system establishes a geographic location reference using the underwater network node.

5. The submersible vehicle of claim 4, further comprising a power module to power the submersible vehicle, and a power charging module to charge the power module, and wherein the power charging module is inductively coupled to a power module in the underwater network node to charge the power module.

6. The submersible vehicle of claim 4, wherein:

the image collection module captures a plurality of images of the portion of a floor of a body of water and transmits the images to a master controller via the underwater network node;

the master controller generates a map of the portion of the floor of the underwater region from the plurality of images.

7. The submersible vehicle of claim 6, wherein the submersible vehicle:

retrieves the map generated by the master controller; and

uses the map to navigate in the body of water.

8. The submersible vehicle of claim 2, wherein the inertial reference system uses a global positioning system (GPS) signal to establish a geographic location.

9. The submersible vehicle of claim 2, wherein the inertial reference system uses a global satellite navigation system (GNSS) signal to establish a geographic location.

10. A system for autonomous underwater navigation, comprising:

a communication network;

at least one master controller node coupled to the communication network;

at least one network docking node coupled to the communication network; and

at least one submersible vehicle to map at least a portion of a floor of a body of water, comprising;

a geolocation module to establish a geographic reference for at least one location in the underwater geographic region; and

an image collection module to collect images of an underwater geographic region proximate the geographic reference.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the submersible vehicle comprises a global positioning system (GPS) module to establish a geolocation reference.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the submersible vehicle further comprises an inertial reference system which uses inputs from the geolocation module to locate one or more features of an underwater geographic region.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the inertial reference system comprises a gyroscope.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the at least one submersible vehicle comprises a network interface module to establish a communication connection with at least one underwater network node;

the inertial reference system establishes a geographic location reference using the underwater network node.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the submersible vehicle comprises a power module to power the submersible vehicle and a power charging module to charge the power module; and

the at least one network docking node comprises an inductive power module; and

the power charging module is inductively coupled to the inductive power module in the underwater network node to charge the power module.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the inertial reference system uses a global positioning system (GPS) signal to establish a geographic location.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the inertial reference system uses a global satellite navigation system (GNSS) signal to establish a geographic location.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the image collection module captures a plurality of images of the portion of a floor of a body of water and transmits the images to a master controller via at least one underwater network node;

the master controller generates a map of the portion of the floor of the underwater region from the plurality of images.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the submersible vehicle:

retrieves the map generated by the master controller; and

uses the map to navigate in the body of water.

20. A method of autonomous underwater navigation, comprising:

establishing a geographic reference for at least one location in an underwater geographic region;

collecting a plurality of images of an underwater geographic region proximate the geographic reference;

assigning geolocation references to the plurality of images;

developing a map of at least a portion of the underwater geographic region, wherein the map comprises at least a portion of the geolocation references; and

using the map to navigate a submersible vehicle in an autonomous fashion.