• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.352-360
• /
• 2019

This paper proposes a docking assessment algorithm for an autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) with sensor uncertainties. The proposed algorithm consists of two assessments, state assessment and probability assessment. The state assessment verifies the reachability by comparing forward distance to the docking station with expected distance to reach same depth as the docking station and necessity for correcting its route by comparing calculated inaccessible areas based on turning radius of the AUV to position of the docking station. When the AUV and the docking station is close enough and the state assessment is satisfied, the probability assessment is conducted by computing success probability of docking based on the direction angle, relative position to the docking station, and sensor uncertainties of the AUV. The final output of the algorithm is decided by comparing the success probability to threshold whether to try docking or to correct its route. To verify the validation of the suggested algorithm, the scenario that the AUV approaches to the docking station is implemented through Matlab simulation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
• /
• 2012.10a
• /
• pp.169-170
• /
• 2012

• International Journal of Control, Automation, and Systems
• /
• v.6 no.5
• /
• pp.731-739
• /
• 2008

The docking and recharging system for a mobile robot must guarantee the ability to perform its tasks continuously without human intervention. This paper proposes two docking mechanisms with localization error-compensation capability for an auto recharging system. The mechanisms use friction forces or magnetic forces between the docking parts of the robot and those of the docking station. It is a structure to improve the allowance ranges of lateral and directional docking offsets, in which the robot is able to dock into the docking station. In this paper, auto-recharging system and the features of the proposed mechanisms are verified with experimental results using simple homing method.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2005.11a
• /
• pp.189.2-189.2
• /
• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
• /
• 2011.06a
• /
• pp.373-374
• /
• 2011

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.208-213
• /
• 2016

This paper proposes a potential field-based guidance law for docking a USV (unmanned surface vehicle). In most cases, a USV without side thrusters is an under-actuated system. Thus, there are undockable regions near docking stations where a USV cannot dock to a docking station without causing a collision or backward motion. This paper suggest a guidance law that prevents a USV from enter such a region by decreasing the lateral error to the docking station at the initial stage of the docking process. A Monte-carlo simulation was performed to validate the performance of the proposed method. The proposed method was compared to conventional guidance laws such as pure pursuit guidance and pure/lead pursuit guidance. As a result, the collision angle and lateral distance error of proposed method tended to have lower values compared to conventional methods.

• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.177-184
• /
• 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 Ocean Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.181-193
• /
• 2022

This study presents a mission management technique that is a key component of underwater docking system used to expand the operating range of autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). We analyzed the docking scenario and AUV operating environment, defining the feasible initial area (FIA) level, event level, and global path (GP) command to improve the rate of docking success and AUV safety. Non-holonomic constraints, mounted sensor characteristic, AUV and mission state, and AUV behavior were considered. Using AUV and docking station, we conducted experiments on land and at sea. The first test was conducted on land to prevent loss and damage of the AUV and verify stability and interconnection with other algorithms; it performed well in normal and abnormal situations. Subsequently, we attempted to dock under the sea and verified its performance; it also worked well in a sea environment. In this study, we presented the mission management technique and showed its performance. We demonstrated AUV docking with this algorithm and verified that the rate of docking success was higher compared to those obtained in other studies.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.289-296
• /
• 2007

The docking and recharging system for a mobile robot must guarantee the ability of the mobile robot to perform its tasks continuously without human intervention. In this paper, two docking mechanisms are proposed with localization error-compensation capability for the auto recharging system. Friction forces or magnetic forces are used between the docking parts of the docking module and those of the docking station. In addition, an auto recharging system is developed to control the power. Since the system is modularized, it can easily be adapted to other robots.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2003

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are unmanned, underwater vessels that are used to investigate sea environments in the study of oceanography. Docking systems are required to increase the capability of the AUVs, to recharge the batteries, and to transmit data in real time for specific underwater works, such as repented jobs at sea bed. This paper presents a visual :em control system used to dock an AUV into an underwater station. A camera mounted at the now center of the AUV is used to guide the AUV into dock. To create the visual servo control system, this paper derives an optical flow model of a camera, where the projected motions of the image plane are described with the rotational and translational velocities of the AUV. This paper combines the optical flow equation of the camera with the AUVs equation of motion, and deriver a state equation for the visual servo AUV. Further, this paper proposes a discrete-time MIMO controller, minimizing a cost function. The control inputs of the AUV are automatically generated with the projected target position on the CCD plane of the camera and with the AUVs motion. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the modeling and the control law of the visual servo AUV simulations on docking the AUV to a target station are performed with the 6-dof nonlinear equations of REMUS AUV and a CCD camera.