• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.217-224
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• 2001

In this paper, the relocation of a mobile robot is considered such that it enables the robot to determine its position with respect to a global reference frame without any $\alpha$ priori position information. The robot acquires sonar range data from a two-dimensional model composed of planes, corners, edges, and cylinders. Considering individual range as data features, the robot searches the best position where the data features of a position matches the environmental model using a constraint-based search method. To increase the search efficiency, a hypothesize and-verify technique is employed in which the position of the robot is calculated from all possible combinations of two range returns that satisfy the sonar sensing model. Accurate relocation is demonstrated with the results from sets of experiments using sparse sonar data in the presence of unmodeled objects.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.53-60
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• 2008

Localization is the most important functions in mobile robots. There are so many approaches to realize this essential function in wheel based mobile robots, but it is not easy to find similar examples in small underwater robots. It is presented the sonar localization system using ubiquitous sensor network for a fish robot in this paper. A fish robot uses GPS and sonar system to find exact localization. Although GPS is essential tool to obtain positional information, this device doesn't provide reasonable resolution in localization. To obtain more precise localization information, we use several Ubiquitous Sensor Networks (USN) motes with sonar system. Experimental results show that a fish robot obtains more detailed positional information.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1219-1226
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• 2011

This paper proposes a novel approach to building an occupancy grid map using sonar data. It is very important for a mobile robot to recognize and construct its surrounding environments for navigation. However, the grid map constructed by ultrasonic sensors cannot represent a realistic shape of given environments due to incorrect sonar measurements caused by specular reflection. To overcome this problem, we propose an advanced sonar sensor model which consists of distance and shape factors used to determine the reliability of sensor data. Through this sensor model, a robot can build a high-quality grid map. The proposed method was verified by various experiments and showed that the robot could build an accurate map with sonar data in various indoor environments.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1062-1067
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• 2018

Conventional active sonar technology has relied heavily on the hearing of sonar operator, but recently, many techniques for automatic detection and classification have been studied. In this paper, we extract the image data from the spectrogram of the active sonar signal and classify the extracted data using CNN(convolutional neural networks), which has recently presented excellent performance improvement in the field of pattern recognition. First, we divided entire data set into eight classes depending on the ratio containing the target. Then, experiments were conducted to classify the eight classes data using proposed CNN structure, and the results were analyzed.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1174-1180
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• 2011

Not all line or point features capable of being extracted by sonar sensors from cluttered home environments are useful for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) due to their ambiguity because it is difficult to determine the correspondence of line or point features with previously registered feature. Confused line and point features in cluttered environments leads to poor SLAM performance. We introduce a sonar feature structure suitable for a cluttered environment and the extended Kalman filter (EKF)-based SLAM scheme. The reliable line feature is expressed by its end points and engaged togather in EKF SLAM to overcome the geometric limits and maintain the map consistency. Experimental results demonstrate the validity and robustness of the proposed method.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2002.07d
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• pp.2337-2340
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• 2002

This paper presents the method of AGV(Automatic guided vehicle)'s moving environment(plane, corner, edge) recognition using SONAR sensor configuration. As for the SONAR sensor, the Crosstalk effect has been generally considered as an inevitable noisy phenomenon in the indoor environment. However, this effect can be used as a clue for classifying and localizing targets in the indoor environment if those can be controlled and used well. EERUF(error eliminate rapid ultrasonic firing) is a method for firing multiple ultrasonic sensors in mobile robot application and multi-echo mode of POLARIOD Device can reduce the Crosstalk effect. Here, Crosstalk effect was reduced using EERUF and applied to the AGV with a simple wall-following algorithm in the indoor environment. This method was tesed by a typical AGV with multi SONAR sensors in the laboratory environment.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.4E
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• pp.3-9
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• 1999

Deep-water sonar transducers of FFR (Free Flooded Ring) type have been designed using a coupled FE-BEM. The proposed sonar transducers are composed of piezoelectric ceramic tubes and structural steel materials for simple fabrication. In order to have an omnidirectional beam pattern around 30kHz, a conic steel is placed below a piezoelectric tube or a steel disc is placed between two piezoelectric tubes. The dynamics of the sonar transducer is modelled in three dimensions and is analyzed with external electrical excitation conditions. Various results are available such as directivity patterns and transmitting voltage responses. The most optimal structure and dimensions of the steel material were calculated, so that the beam patterns of the sonar transducers had +/- 3dB omnidirectivity at 30kHz.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.227-233
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• 2007

Representing an environment as the probabilistic grids is effective to sense outlines of the environment in the mobile robot area. Outlines of an environment can be expressed factually by using the probabilistic grids especially if sonar sensors would be supposed to build an environment map. However, the difficult problem of a sonar such as a specular reflection phenomenon should be overcome to build a grid map through sonar observations. In this paper, the NRF(Neighborhood Recognition Factor) was developed for building a grid map in which the specular reflection effect is minimized. Also the reproduction rate of the gird map built by using NRF was analyzed with respect to a true map. The experiment was conducted in a home environment to verify the proposed technique.

• IEMEK Journal of Embedded Systems and Applications
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.173-182
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• 2014

The CRT monitor display system for SONAR signal that are commonly used in ships or naval vessels uses vector scanning method. Therefore the processing circuits of the system are complex. Also the purchase of parts is difficult as well as high-cost because the production had been shut down. FPGA-based embedded system is flexible to various digital applications because it can be able to simplify processing circuits and to make a easy customized design for end user, and it provides low-cost high-speed performance. In this paper, we describe an implementation of FPGA embedded system for real-time SONAR signal display using the triple buffering method to overcome some weakness of existing CRT system. Our system provides real-time acquisition and display capability of SONAR signal, and removes afterimage effect that is a critical problem of the system proposed in the preceding study.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.107-113
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• 1993

Sidescan sonar uses the fan type beam which has horizontally narrow and vertically somewhat wide beam pattern. To construct such a beam we will use an array of transducers. In case of using single transducer it must have a high frequency to have the fan type beam, but in case of using an array it must have to be high frequency. We are planning to use 30 kHz transducers for our sidescan sonar under development. This paper shows ways of designing a narrow beam for the sidescan sonar system by illustrating various shapes of the beam patterns.