Optical based pose detection for multiple unmanned underwater vehicles

• US 9,812,018 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2015
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of New Hampshire
• Original Assignee: University of New Hampshire
• Inventors: Celikkol, Barbaros, Eren, Firat, Peri, Shachak, Rzhanov, Yuri, Swift, M. Robinson, Thein, May-Win
• Primary Examiner(s): Jen, Ian
• Application Number:
  US14/680,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20160253906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2203/00 Communication means
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2211/02 Oceanography
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2008/004 autonomously operating
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/001 Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/784 using a mosaic of detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/12 Target-seeking control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/00 Non-electrical signal transmission systems, e.g. optical systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 3/00 Traffic control systems for marine craft marking of navigational route B63B22/16, B63B51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/02 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the earth or a large mass of water thereon, e.g. earth telegraphy

Abstract

A system and method for optical communication between multiple UUVs, more specifically, for leader-follower formations between UUVs. The system focuses on the characterization and modeling of a 1-dimensional and/or 3-dimensional light field produced from a light source mounted on a Leader UUV, which is detected by one or more follower UUVs. Communication algorithms are used to monitor the UUV'"'"'s motion and orientation utilizing simulators, look up tables, and the like. A variety of detectors arrays can be used in a variety of wavelengths depending on the desired application.

Claims

1. An optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles, comprising:

a leader unmanned underwater vehicle and a follower unmanned underwater vehicle;

one or more light sources mounted on the leader unmanned underwater vehicle producing a 3-dimensional light field;

an optical detector array mounted on the follower unmanned underwater vehicle for detecting the light field; and

an algorithm for controlling and detecting distance and controlling motion and orientation between the leader unmanned underwater vehicle and the follower unmanned underwater vehicle.

2. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 1, wherein the leader unmanned underwater vehicle is a remote underwater vehicle and the follower unmanned underwater vehicle is an automated underwater vehicle.

3. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 1, wherein the leader unmanned underwater vehicle is a first automated underwater vehicle and the follower unmanned underwater vehicle is a second automated underwater vehicle.

4. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 1,

wherein the follower unmanned underwater vehicle is a first follower unmanned underwater vehicle, and

further comprising at least a second follower unmanned underwater vehicle.

5. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 1, wherein the optical detector array is at least one of a planar array or a curved array.

6. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 5, wherein an array size of the optical detector array is between a 3×

3 array and a 101×

101 array.

7. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 1, wherein the algorithm is configured to regulate the distance between the leader unmanned underwater vehicle and the follower unmanned underwater vehicle to a specified reference value.

8. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 7, wherein the specified reference value is between 4.5 m and 8.5 m.

9. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 1, further comprising a control algorithm to maintain stability.

10. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 9, wherein the control algorithm is a proportional derivative control algorithm.

11. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 1, wherein light received by the optical detector array is filtered using a 500-550 nm band pass filter.

12. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 1, wherein a trajectory generated by the algorithm is smoothed using a Kalman filter.

13. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 1, wherein the optical detector array is configured to determine and distinguish at least five degree of freedom relative motion between unmanned underwater vehicles.

14. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 1, wherein the algorithm is configured to detect translational motion above water utilizing at least one beam of light.

15. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 4, wherein the algorithm is a dynamic positioning algorithm.

16. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 14, wherein the dynamic positioning algorithm is used in combination with a lookup table in positioning the first follower unmanned underwater vehicle and the second follower unmanned underwater vehicle.

17. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 1, wherein the optical communication instrumentation system is configured to detect relative light intensity changes in the optical detector array.

18. The optical communication instrumentation system for leader-follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 15, wherein the algorithm is configured to use parameters comprising:

a Spectral Image Mapper, a skewness of a vector of a resulting intensity profile, a row number and a column number of an image pixel with a highest intensity, a skewness of a horizontal slope of pixel intensity, and a skewness of a vertical slope of pixel intensity.

19. A method of directing the optical communication instrumentation system for leader- follower formations of unmanned underwater vehicles of claim 1, comprising:

providing, to the leader unmanned underwater vehicle, reference input to travel to given waypoints; and

providing, to the leader unmanned underwater vehicle, step input changes.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising generating a time varying trajectory from motion of the leader unmanned underwater vehicle to guide the follower unmanned underwater vehicle.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising estimating an x-coordinate separately using a procedure comprising:

taking a first estimate of the x-coordinate based upon a total intensity of detector array elements; and

correcting the first estimate of the x-coordinate using an estimated value of y, z, θ

, and ψ

to calculate a second estimate of the x-coordinate using

x_est=x_est1−

√

{square root over (y_est²+z_est²)}″

1sin θ

cos ψ

.