Cooperative Localization for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
Name
bahr_fallon_leonard_ijrr2009.pdf
Size
592.15 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
cfce0744f81c732ad24c6db72599cce0
Author(s)
Bahr, Alexander
Leonard, John Joseph
Fallon, Maurice Francis
Date Issued
June 2009
Journal
International Journal of Robotics Research
Publisher
Sage Publications
Citation
Bahr, Alexander, John J. Leonard, and Maurice F. Fallon. “Cooperative Localization for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.” The International Journal of Robotics Research 28.6 (2009): 714 -728.
Version
Author's final manuscript
Abstract
This paper describes an algorithm for distributed acoustic navigation for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
(AUVs). Whereas typical AUV navigation systems utilize pre-calibrated arrays of static transponders, our work
seeks to create a fully mobile network of AUVs that perform acoustic ranging and data exchange with one another to
achieve cooperative positioning for extended duration missions over large areas. The algorithm enumerates possible
solutions for the AUV trajectory based on dead-reckoning and range-only measurements provided by acoustic modems
that are mounted on each vehicle, and chooses the trajectory via minimization of a cost function based on these
constraints. The resulting algorithm is computationally efficient, meets the strict bandwidth requirements of available
AUV modems, and has potential to scale well to networks of large numbers of vehicles. The method has undergone
extensive experimentation, and results from three different scenarios are reported in this paper, each of which utilizes
MIT SCOUT Autonomous Surface Craft (ASC) as convenient platforms for testing. In the first experiment, we utilize
three ASCs, each equipped with a Woods Hole acoustic modem, as surrogates for AUVs. In this scenario, two ASCs
serve as Communication/Navigation Aids (CNAs) for a third ASC that computes its position based exclusively on
GPS positions of the CNAs and acoustic range measurements between platforms. In the second scenario, an undersea
glider is used in conjunction with two ASCs serving as CNAs. Finally, in the third experiment, a Bluefin12 AUV
serves as the target vehicle. All three experiments demonstrate the successful operation of the technique with real
ocean data.
Subjects
sensor networks
mobile robotics
cooperative navigation
autonomous underwater vehicles
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1177/0278364908100561
