• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.94-102
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• 2021

This study addresses a method for 3D reconstruction using acoustic data with heterogeneous sonar devices: Forward-Looking Multibeam Sonar (FLMS) and Profiling Sonar (PS). The challenges in sonar image processing are perceptual ambiguity, the loss of elevation information, and low signal to noise ratio, which are caused by the ranging and intensity-based image generation mechanism of sonars. The conventional approaches utilize additional constraints such as Lambertian reflection and redundant data at various positions, but they are vulnerable to environmental conditions. Our approach is to use two sonars that have a complementary data type. Typically, the sonars provide reliable information in the horizontal but, the loss of elevation information degrades the quality of data in the vertical. To overcome the characteristic of sonar devices, we adopt the crossed installation in such a way that the PS is laid down on its side and mounted on the top of FLMS. From the installation, FLMS scans horizontal information and PS obtains a vertical profile of the front area of AUV. For the fusion of the two sonar data, we propose the probabilistic approach. A likelihood map using geometric constraints between two sonar devices is built and a monte-carlo experiment using a derived model is conducted to extract 3D points. To verify the proposed method, we conducted a simulation and field test. As a result, a consistent seabed map was obtained. This method can be utilized for 3D seabed mapping with an AUV.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.231-238
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• 2022

Mine detection has been mainly studied with images of the forward-looking sonar. Forward-looking sonar assumes the propagation path of the sound wave as a straight path, creating the surrounding images. This might lead to errors in the detection by ignoring the refraction of the sound wave. In this study, we propose a mine localization method that can robustly identify the location of mines in an underwater environment by considering the refraction of sound waves. We propose a method of estimating the elevation angle of arrival of the target echo signal in a single receiver, and estimate the mine location by applying the estimated elevation angle of arrival to ray tracing. As a result of simulation, the method proposed in this paper was more effective in estimating the mine localization than the existing method that assumed the propagation path as a straight line.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.313-319
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• 2023

In this study, we propose a method to improve the accuracy of acoustic odometry using optimal frame interval selection for Fourier-based image registration. The accuracy of acoustic odometry is related to the phase correlation result of image pairs obtained from the forward-looking sonar (FLS). Phase correlation failure is caused by spurious peaks and high-similarity image pairs that can be prevented by optimal frame interval selection. We proposed a method of selecting the optimal frame interval by analyzing the factors affecting phase correlation. Acoustic odometry error was reduced by selecting the optimal frame interval. The proposed method was verified using field data.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.214-220
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• 2016

Imaging sonars such as side-scanning sonar or forward-looking sonar are becoming fundamental sensors in the underwater robotics field. However, using sonar images for underwater perception presents many challenges. Sonar images are usually low resolution with inherent speckled noise. To overcome the limited sensor information for underwater perception, we investigated preprocessing methods for sonar images and feature detection methods for a nonlinear scale space. In this paper, we focus on a comparative analysis of (1) preprocessing for sonar images and (2) the feature detection performance in relation to the scale space composition.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.2142-2144
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• 2015

3D FLS is a active sonar that can represent the underwater inside visually in forward direction. We discuss on the decrease of bubbles from breaking waves in 3D FLS frames. In the experiment using the bubbles reduction filter the effect of bubbles was decreased a lot.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.110-117
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• 2023

Reconstructing underwater geometry in real time with forward-looking sonar is critical for applications such as localization, mapping, and path planning. Geometrical data must be repeatedly calculated and overwritten in real time because the reliability of the acoustic data is affected by various factors. Moreover, scattering of signal data during the coordinate conversion process may lead to geometrical errors, which lowers the accuracy of the information obtained by the sensor system. In this study, we propose a three-step data processing method with low computational cost for real-time operation. First, the number of data points to be interpolated is determined with respect to the distance between each point and the size of the data grid in a Cartesian coordinate system. Then, the data are processed with a nonlinear interpolation so that they exhibit linear properties in the coordinate system. Finally, the data are transformed based on variations in the position and orientation of the sonar over time. The results of an evaluation of our proposed approach in a simulation show that the nonlinear interpolation operation constructed a continuous underwater geometry dataset with low geometrical error.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.218-224
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• 2012

Recently, as the needs of developing the micro autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) are increasing, the acquisition of the elementary technology is urgent. While they mostly utilizes information of the forward looking sonar (FLS) in conventional studies of the local path control as an elementary technology, it is desirable to use the obstacle avoidance sonar (OAS) because the size of the FLS is not suitable for the micro AUV. In brief, the local path control system based on the OAS for the micro AUV operates with the following problems: the OAS offers low bearing resolution and local range information, it requires the system that has reduced power consumption to extend the mission execution time, and it requires an easy design procedure in terms of its structures and parameters. To solve these problems, an intelligent local path control algorithm based on the beam modeling of OAS with the evolution strategy (ES) and the fuzzy logic controller (FLC), is proposed. To verify the performance and analyze the characteristic of the proposed algorithm, the course control of the underwater flight vehicle (UFV) is performed in the horizontal plane. Simulation results show that the feasibility of real application and the necessity of additional work in the proposed algorithm.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Marine Engineers Conference
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• 2011.06a
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• pp.291-291
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• 2011

소나의 특성상 취득되는 데이터는 1차원 배열의 연속으로 구성된다. 2차원의 경우는 순차적인 방향으로 연속배열로 간단히 구성되지만 3차원의 경우는 특정한 방향성을 가지기 어렵다. 실제로 소프트웨어를 구현하며 작성된 데이터구조와 획득된 데이터와 실제 공간상에서 발견되는 목표물에 대해서 소개한다.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.400-404
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• 2016

This paper presents experimental results for the vibration characteristics of the small unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) OPKO 300, which was designed and manufactured by Daewoo ship and Marine Engineering Ltd. The autonomy of UUVs has led to an increase in their use in scientific, military, and commercial areas because their autonomy makes it possible for UUVs to be utilized instead of humans in hazardous missions such as mine countermeasure missions (MCM). Since it is impossible to use devices based on electromagnetic waves to gather information in an underwater environment, only sonar systems, which use sound waves, can be used in underwater environments, and their performance can strongly affect the autonomy of a UUV. Since a thruster system, which combines a motor and propeller in a single structure, is widely used as the propulsion system of a UUV and is mounted on the outside of a UUV’s stern, it can generate vibration, which can be transferred throughout the shell of the UUV from its stern to its bow. The transferred vibration can affect the performance of various sonar systems such as side-scan sonar or forward-looking sonar. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate the effect of the transferred vibration of the UUV on the sonar systems. Even if various numerical methods were used to analyze the vibration problem of a UUV, it would be hard to predict the vibration phenomena of a UUV at the initial design stage. In this work, an experimental study using OKPO 300 and an impact hammer was carried out to analyze the vibration feature of a small real UUV in the air. The frequency response function of the vibration based on the experimental results is presented.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.679-687
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• 2019

This paper presents the autonomous swimming technology developed for an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) operating in the underwater jacket structure environment. To prevent the position divergence of the inertial navigation system constructed for the primary navigation solution for the vehicle, we've developed kinds of marker-recognition based underwater localization methods using both of optical and acoustic cameras. However, these two methods all require the artificial markers to be located near to the cameras mounted on the vehicle. Therefore, in the case of the vehicle far away from the structure where the markers are usually mounted on, we may need alternative position-aiding solution to guarantee the navigation accuracy. For this purpose, we develop a sonar image processing based underwater localization method using a Forward Looking Sonar (FLS) mounted in front of the vehicle. The primary purpose of this FLS is to detect the obstacles in front of the vehicle. According to the detected obstacle(s), we apply an Occupancy Grid Map (OGM) based path planning algorithm to derive an obstacle collision-free reference path. Experimental studies are carried out in the water tank and also in the Pohang Yeongilman port sea environment to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed autonomous swimming technology.