Underwater robots to autonomously dock mid-mission to recharge and
transfer data

Date:
October 6, 2020
Source:
Purdue University
Summary:
Robots exploring deep bodies of water can only go so far before
needing to recharge and upload data. Purdue University engineers
have designed a mobile docking station system that would help them
go farther.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Robots can be amazing tools for search-and-rescue missions and
environmental studies, but eventually they must return to a base to
recharge their batteries and upload their data. That can be a challenge
if your robot is an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) exploring deep
ocean waters.


==========================================================================
Now, a Purdue University team has created a mobile docking system for
AUVs, enabling them to perform longer tasks without the need for human intervention.

The team also has published papers on ways to adapt this docking system
for AUVs that will explore extraterrestrial lakes, such as those of
Jupiter and Saturn's moons.

"My research focuses on persistent operation of robots in challenging environments," said Nina Mahmoudian, an associate professor of
mechanical engineering. "And there's no more challenging environment
than underwater." Once a marine robot submerges in water, it loses the
ability to transmit and receive radio signals, including GPS data. Some
may use acoustic communication, but this method can be difficult and unreliable, especially for long-range transmissions. Because of this, underwater robots currently have a limited range of operation.

"Typically these robots perform a pre-planned itinerary underwater,"
Mahmoudian said. "Then they come to the surface and send out a signal
to be retrieved.

Humans have to go out, retrieve the robot, get the data, recharge
the battery and then send it back out. That's very expensive, and it
limits the amount of time these robots can be performing their tasks." Mahmoudian's solution is to create a mobile docking station that
underwater robots could return to on their own.



==========================================================================
"And what if we had multiple docks, which were also mobile and
autonomous?" she said. "The robots and the docks could coordinate
with each other, so that they could recharge and upload their data,
and then go back out to continue exploring, without the need for
human intervention. We've developed the algorithms to maximize these trajectories, so we get the optimum use of these robots." A paper on
the mission planning system that Mahmoudian and her team developed has
been published in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. The researchers validated the method by testing the system on a short mission in Lake
Superior.

"What's key is that the docking station is portable," Mahmoudian said. "It
can be deployed in a stationary location, but it can also be deployed
on autonomous surface vehicles or even on other autonomous underwater
vehicles. And it's designed to be platform-agnostic, so it can be utilized
with any AUV. The hardware and software work hand-in-hand." Mahmoudian
points out that systems like this already exist in your living room.

"An autonomous vacuum, like a Roomba, does its vacuum cleaning, and
when it runs out of battery, it autonomously returns to its dock to get recharged," she said, "That's exactly what we are doing here, but the environment is much more challenging." If her system can successfully
function in a challenging underwater environment, then Mahmoudian sees
even greater horizons for this technology.

"This system can be used anywhere," she said. "Robots on land,
air or sea will be able to operate indefinitely. Search-and-rescue
robots will be able to explore much wider areas. They will go into
the Arctic and explore the effects of climate change. They will
even go into space." Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kS0_- qc_r0&_ga=2.99992349.282287155.1601990769-129101217.1578788059 A patent
on this mobile underwater docking station design has been issued. The
patent was filed through the Secretary of the U.S. Navy. This work is
funded by the National Science Foundation (grant 19078610) and the Office
of Naval Research (grant N00014-20-1-2085).


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Purdue_University. Original written
by Jared Pike. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Bingxi Li, Brian R. Page, Barzin Moridian, Nina
Mahmoudian. Collaborative
Mission Planning for Long-Term Operation Considering Energy
Limitations.

IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2020; 5 (3): 4751 DOI:
10.1109/ LRA.2020.3003881 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201006153510.htm

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