• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.221-226
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• 2016

An attitude controller for a 6-DOF hovering autonomous underwater vehicle (HAUV) is implemented. We add a vertical thruster, an underwater camera, a wireless communication device, and a DVL to the HAUV that was developed a year ago. The HAUV is composed of 5 thrusters, 2 servo-motors, and 4 apparatus parts. Two rotating thrusters control the surge, heave, and roll of the vehicle. The vertical thruster controls the pitch, and two horizontal thrusters control the sway and yaw of the vehicle. The HAUV’s movement in each direction is controlled by 6 PID controllers. Each PID controller controls the propulsive force and angle of a thruster. In a horizontal and vertical movement experiment, we showed the feasibility of the proposed controller by maintaining a given depth and heading angle of the HAUV.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.434-445
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• 2021

This paper proposes an optimal design method for an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) platform to overcome strong current. First, to minimize the hydrodynamic drag components in water, the vehicle is designed to have a streamlined disc shape, which help maintaining horizontal motion (zero roll and pitch angles posture) while overcoming external current. To this end, four vertical thrusters are symmetrically mounted outside of the platform to stabilize the vehicle's horizontal motion. In the horizontal plane, four horizontal thrusters are symmetrically mounted outside of the disc, and each of them has the same forward and reverse thrust performances. With these four thrusters, a specific thrust vector control (TVC) method is proposed, and for external current in any direction, four horizontal thrusters are controlled to generate a vectored thrust force to encounter the current while minimizing the vehicle's rotation and maintaining its heading. However, for the numerical simulations, the vehicle's hydrodynamic coefficients related to the horizontal plane are derived based on both theoretical and empirically derived formulas. In addition to the simulation, experimental studies in both the water tank and circulating water channel are performed to verify the vehicle's various final performances, including its ability to overcome strong current.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.259-266
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• 2012

In these days, researches about underwater robots have been actively in progress for the purposes of ocean detection and resource exploration. Unlike general underwater robots such as ROV(Remotely Operated Vehicle) and AUV(Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) which have propellers, an articulated underwater robot which is called Crabster has been being developed in KORDI(Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute) with many cooperation organizations since 2010. The robot is expected to be able to walk and swim under the sea with its legs. Among many researching fields of this project, we are focusing on a swimming section. In order to find effective swimming locomotion for the robot, we approached this subject in terms of Biomimetics. As a model of optimized swimming organism in nature, diving beetles were chosen. In the paper, swimming motions of diving beetles were analyzed in viewpoint of robotics for applying them into the swimming motion of the robot. After modeling the kinematics of diving beetle through robotics engineering technique, we obtained swimming patterns of the one of living diving beetles, and then compared them with calculated optimal swimming patterns of a robot leg. As the first trial to compare the locomotion data of legs of the diving beetle with a robot leg, we have sorted two representative swimming patterns such as forwarding and turning. Experimental environment has been set up to get the motion data of diving beetles. The experimental equipment consists of a transparent aquarium and a high speed camera. Various swimming motions of diving beetles were recorded with the camera. After classifying swimming patterns of the diving beetle, we can get angular data of each joint on hind legs by image processing software, Image J. The data were applied to an optimized algorithm for swimming of a robot leg which was designed by robotics engineering technique. Through this procedure, simulated results which show trajectories of a robot leg were compared with trajectories of a leg of a diving beetle in desired directions. As a result, we confirmed considerable similarity in the result of trajectory and joint angles comparison.

• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.177-184
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• 2021

This paper proposes an assessment method using probability-based index for safe and successful underwater docking of autonomous underwater vehicles(AUVs) to the docking stations(DSs). The proposed method assesses the probability of docking according to the degree to which the state of the AUV is consistent with the state criteria for docking. The assessment is performed within a specific area considering the kinematic constraints and docking plans of the AUV. The assessment process is defining probability density function, calculating probabilities for reaching the docking station according to the difference to position and heading criteria, and computing the probability-based index in real-time. We verify the validity of the proposed method through analyzing the data acquired on operation test.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.584-591
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• 2014

This paper presents a novel aided navigation method for AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles). The navigation system for AUV includes several sensors such as IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), DVL (Doppler Velocity Log) and depth sensor. In general, the $13^{th}$ order INS error model, which includes depth error, velocity error, attitude error, and the accelerometer and gyroscope biases as state variables is used with measurements from DVL and depth sensors. However, the model may degrade the estimation performance of the heading state. Therefore, the $11^{th}$ INS error model is proposed. Its validity is verified by using a degree of observability and analyzing steady state error. The performance of the proposed model is shown by the computer simulation. The results show that the performance of the reduced $11^{th}$ order error model is better than that of the conventional $13^{th}$ order error model.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2003.07c
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• pp.2685-2688
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• 2003

A PC-based system for both monitoring and controlling SAUV is developed. The developed system is located on a ship and communicate with the SAUV through optical link through which the system sends motion command and receives video data, SSBL and Digital I/O data. The motion command includes velocity data and direction data. The overall system is developed with the intention of easy operation for operator and safe motion of SAUV. The easy operation is realized by GUI-based interface and the safe motion is realized by fault tolerant capability.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.83-90
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• 2003

This paper presents an underwater hybrid navigation system for a semi-autonomous underwater vehicle (SAUV). The navigation system consists of an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and a Doppler velocity log (DVL), accompanied by a magnetic compass. The errors of inertial measurement units increase with time, due to the bias errors of gyros and accelerometers. A navigational system model is derived, to include the scale effect and bias errors of the DVL, of which the state equation composed of the navigation states and sensor parameters is 20. The conventional extended Kalman filter was used to propagate the error covariance, update the measurement errors, and correct the state equation when the measurements are available. Simulation was performed with the 6-d.o,f equations of motion of SAUV, using a lawn-mowing survey mode. The hybrid underwater navigation system shows good tracking performance, by updating the error covariance and correcting the system's states with the measurement errors from a DVL, a magnetic compass, and a depth sensor. The error of the estimated position still slowly drifts in the horizontal plane, about 3.5m for 500 seconds, which could be eliminated with the help of additional USBL information.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.107-121
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• 2013

The underwater glider is an autonomous vehicle that can glide through the ocean interior by using a pair of wings attached to its body and can move up and down through the water column by changing its buoyancy. As of now, there are three widely-used gliders, namely, the Spray that was co-developed by Scripps Oceanographic Institution and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Slocum produced by the Webb Research Cooperation, and the Seaglider that was produced by the University of Washington. In this paper, I will introduce these three gliders and discuss the principles and procedures related to glider operation as well as the application and extendability of modern physical and bio-geochemical sensors to gliders. My experiences in developing a glider for measuring ocean turbulence and testing it 7 times during 12 days are shared in this paper. On the basis of my experiences and knowledge, different kinds of aspects that should be considered for successful glider operation are discussed. In addition, a suggestion is made as to what would be the ideal way to operate underwater gliders in the East/Japan Sea. At the end, the current status of active glider operation teams is presented and the efforts to proceed toward future gliders are briefly introduced.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.978-985
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• 2012

Starfish are a critical problem for fishermen since they eat every farming product including shellfish. The number of starfish is increasing dramatically because they have no natural enemy underwater. We consider the concept of capturing starfish using a semi-autonomous robot. A new underwater robot design to capture starfish is proposed using cooperation between humans and the robot. A requirements list for the robot is developed and two conceptual designs are proposed. Each robot is designed as a modular platform. The kinematic and dynamic performance of each robot is analyzed and compared. This study is a starting point for developing a starfish capture robot and designing underwater robots for other applications. In the near future, a prototype will be assembled and tested in a marine environment.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1266-1272
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• 2011

For way-point tracking of an autonomous underwater vehicle, a state feedback controller was designed by using pole placement scheme in discrete time domain. In the controller, 4 state variables were used for regulating the depth of the vehicle in z direction, and 3 state variables, for steering the vehicle in xy plane. Assuming constant speed of AUV, we simplified the design of the way-point tracking system. The proposed controller was simulated by MATLAB/Simulink using 6 degree-of-freedom nonlinear model and its performance of way point tracking was shown to be fulfilled within 1 m, nevertheless the proposed controller is quite simple and easy to implement compared to sliding mode controller.