• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.119-124
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• 2022

Successful underwater localization requires a large-scale, parallel computing environment that can be mounted on various underwater robots. Accordingly, we propose a design method for an artificial intelligence computing platform for underwater localization. The proposed platform consists of a total of four hardware modules. Transponder and hydrophone modules transmit and receive sound waves, and the FPGA module rapidly pre-processes the transmitted and received sound wave signals in parallel. Jetson module processes artificial intelligence based algorithms. We performed a sound wave transmission/reception experiment for underwater localization according to distance in an actual underwater environment. As a result, the designed platform was verified.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.4971-4987
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• 2019

Node localization is the basic task of underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs). Most of the existing underwater localization methods rely on ranging accuracy. Due to the special environment conditions in the ocean, beacon nodes are difficult to deploy accurately. The narrow bandwidth and high delay of the underwater acoustic communication channel lead to large errors. In order to reduce the ranging error and improve the positioning accuracy, we propose a localization algorithm based on ranging correction and inertial coordination. The algorithm can be divided into two parts, Range Correction based Localization algorithm (RCL) and Inertial Coordination based Localization algorithm (ICL). RCL uses the geometric relationship between the node positions to correct the ranging error and obtain the exact node position. However, when the unknown node deviates from the deployment area with the movement of the water flow, it cannot communicate with enough beacon nodes in a certain period of time. In this case, the node uses ICL algorithm to combine position data with motion information of neighbor nodes to update its position. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm greatly improves the positioning accuracy of unknown nodes compared with the existing localization methods.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.372-378
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• 2013

In this paper, we research the localization problem of the crawler-type inspection robot for underwater structure which travels an outer wall of underwater structure. Since various factors of the underwater environment affect an encoder odometer, it is hard to localize robot itself using only on-board sensors. So in this research we used a depth sensor and an IMU to compensate odometer which has extreme error in the underwater environment through using Extended Kalman Filter(EKF) which is normally used in mobile robotics. To acquire valid measurements, we implemented precision sensor modeling after assuming specific situation that robot travels underwater structure. The depth sensor acquires a vertical position of robot and compensates one of the robot pose, and IMU is used to compensate a bearing. But horizontal position of robot can't be compensated by using only on-board sensors. So we proposed a localization algorithm which makes horizontal direction error bounded by using kinematics relationship. Also we implemented computer simulations and experiments in underwater environment to verify the algorithm performance.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.232-241
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• 2014

This paper proposes an underwater localization algorithm using probabilistic object recognition. It is organized as follows; 1) recognizing artificial objects using imaging sonar, and 2) localizing the recognized objects and the vehicle using EKF(Extended Kalman Filter) based SLAM. For this purpose, we develop artificial landmarks to be recognized even under the unstable sonar images induced by noise. Moreover, a probabilistic recognition framework is proposed. In this way, the distance and bearing of the recognized artificial landmarks are acquired to perform the localization of the underwater vehicle. Using the recognized objects, EKF-based SLAM is carried out and results in a path of the underwater vehicle and the location of landmarks. The proposed localization algorithm is verified by experiments in a basin.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1050-1056
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• 2015

In this paper, we use the characteristics of electromagnetic waves underwater attenuation for estimating linear distance between a transmitting node and receiving node, and research underwater vertical plane attenuation model for constructing the underwater localization system. The underwater localization of 2 dimensional with the plane attenuation model in the horizontal plane (H-plane) was proposed previous research. But for the 3 dimensional underwater localization, the additional vertical plane (E-plane) model should be considered. Because the horizontal plane of omnidirectional antenna has the same attenuation tendency in x-y plane according to the distance, whereas in vertical plane shows an irregular pattern in x-z plane. For that reason, in the vertical plane environment, the attenuation should be changed by the position and inclination. Hence, in this paper the distance and angle between transmitting and receiving node are defined using spherical coordinate system and derive an antenna gain pattern using half power beam width (HPBW). The HPBW is called a term which defines antenna's performance between isotropic and other antennas. This paper derives omnidirectional antenna's maximum gain and attenuation pattern model and define vertical plane's gain pattern model using HPBW. Finally, experimental verifications for the proposed underwater vertical plane's attenuation model was executed.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.288-295
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• 2011

The paper proposes a localization method of an underwater robot using Monte Carlo Localization(MCL) approach. Localization is one of the fundamental basics for autonomous navigation of an underwater robot. The proposed method resolves the problem of accumulation of position error which is fatal to dead reckoning method. It deals with uncertainty of the robot motion and uncertainty of sensor data in probabilistic approach. Especially, it can model the nonlinear motion transition and non Gaussian probabilistic sensor characteristics. In the paper, motion model is described using Euler angles to utilize the MCL algorithm for position estimation of an underwater robot. Motion model and sensor model are implemented and the performance of the proposed method is verified through simulation.

• 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.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.28-38
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• 2014

This paper verifies the performance of Extended Kalman Filter(EKF) and MCL(Monte Carlo Localization) approach to localization of an underwater vehicle through experiments. Especially, the experiments use acoustic range sensor whose measurement accuracy and uncertainty is not yet proved. Along with localization, the experiment also discloses the uncertainty features of the range measurement such as bias and variance. The proposed localization method rejects outlier range data and the experiment shows that outlier rejection improves localization performance. It is as expected that the proposed method doesn't yield as precise location as those methods which use high priced DVL(Doppler Velocity Log), IMU(Inertial Measurement Unit), and high accuracy range sensors. However, it is noticeable that the proposed method can achieve the accuracy which is affordable for correction of accumulated dead reckoning error, even though it uses only range data of low reliability and accuracy.

• IEMEK Journal of Embedded Systems and Applications
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.187-191
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• 2012

In these days, there are huge increases of concerning underwater acoustic sensor networks (UWASNs) to explore marine resources and to monitor climate change. To collect information from sensor nodes which are randomly deployed in underwater, Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS) based locating methods have been recently introduced, which consider sound speed to be constant in underwater. However, underwater sound speed tends to vary depending on underwater environment factors, such as depth, temperature, and salinity. In this paper, we propose a method considering environment factors, can influence upon sound speed in underwater, and introduce experimental setup which can follow up environmental factors.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.146-155
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• 2016

Localization of underwater vehicle is essential to use underwater robotic systems for various applications effectively. For this purpose, this paper presents a method of two-dimensional SLAM for underwater vehicles equipped with two hydrophones. The proposed method uses directional angles for underwater acoustic sources. A target signal transmitted from acoustic source is extracted using band-pass filters. Then, directional angles are estimated based on Bayesian process with generalized cross-correlation. The acquired angles are used as measurements for EKF-SLAM to estimate both vehicle location and locations of acoustic sources. Through these processes, the proposed method provides reliable estimation for two dimensional locations of underwater vehicles. Experimental results demonstrate the performance of the proposed method in a real sea environment.