This paper presents an acoustic localization system for small and low-cost autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Accurate robust AUVs would lower the barrier toward multi-AUV research in river ocean environments. However, these introduce size, power, cost constraints that prevent use of conventional AUV sensors positioning systems, adding great difficulty to problem localization. Our uses a single transmitter placed at reference point is acoustically passive on AUV, reducing power use,...

One of the long term goals autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) minehunting is to have multiple inexpensive AUVs in a harbor autonomously classify hazards. Existing acoustic methods for target classification using AUV-based sensing, such as sidescan and synthetic aperture sonar, require an expensive payload on each outfitted post-processing and/or image interpretation. A machine learning methodology bistatic angle dependence scattering amplitudes between fixed source has been developed...

Swarms of robots are starting to appear in aerial and ground robotics across multiple operational domains: be it for search-and-rescue mapping, or Olympic light shows, controlled groups drones able coordinated groups. This capability does not currently extend the underwater domain, a reason basic physics: attenuation water is 10 orders magnitude greater than that air, rendering ineffective navigation communication technologies used terrestrial robotics. Autonomous vehicle (AUV) either...

The underwater environment severely constrains robotic navigation and communications, making the use of traditional multi-robot control coordination schemes very difficult. These challenges are exacerbated on a new generation low-cost autonomous vehicles (AUVs) that lack Doppler velocity log, acoustic modem, or high-end inertial sensors typically used for communications.This letter demonstrates operations AUVs via novel user-friendly operating paradigm allows intuitive command an AUV group....

This work implements a hydrodynamic model-based localization and navigation system for low-cost autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that are limited to micro-electro mechanical (MEMS) inertial measurement unit (IMU). The model of this is uniquely developed directly determine the linear velocities vehicle using measured angular rates propeller speed as inputs. proposed was tested in field fleet Bluefin SandShark AUVs. Implementation fusing solution into loop conducted backseat computers AUV...

Advances in computer hardware and sensing technologies have enabled the design development of low-cost autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The reduced cost new platforms such as Bluefin SandShark present opportunity for more frequent high-risk AUV-based experiments reduce barrier to entry multi-vehicle operations. smaller size these compared AUV typically used ocean exploration also makes deployment operations possible accessible bodies water lakes rivers. However, limited payload space...

This paper presents a scalable acoustic navigation approach for the unified command, control and coordination of multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Existing multi-AUV operations typically achieve manually, by programming individual on surface via radio communications, which becomes impractical with large vehicle numbers; or they require bi-directional inter-vehicle communications to limited when submerged, scalability due physical properties channel. Our utilizes single,...

One of the challenges presented in using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for remote data collection is accurate time synchronization. In case bistatic acoustics, synchronization required between AUV and source so that which each ping sent out exactly known. There are three key obstacles to achieving this. First, vehicle submerged therefore unable access common references directly. Second, accuracy acquisition far exceeds possible a computer clock trigger collection. Finally, achieve...

When an aspect-dependent target is insonified by acoustic source, distinct features are produced in the resulting bistatic scattered field. These change as aspect between source and varied. This paper describes use of these for estimation angle using data collected autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). An experiment was conducted November 2014 Massachusetts Bay to collect a ship-based producing 7-9-kHz linear frequency modulation (LFM) chirps insonifying steel pipe. The true orientation...

A theoretical model for predicting the acoustic field scattered by an elastic cylinder that is partially insonified a directional transceiver proposed in form of simple approximate one-dimensional integral. This accounts spherical spreading and directivity incident waves extends formulation used preceding article [Gurley Stanton, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 94, 2746-2755 (1993)] including effects due to oblique insonification long assuming negligible end-contributions. The infinitely obliquely plane...

This paper presents a method for processing sparse, non-Gaussian multimodal data in simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) framework using factor graphs. Our approach demonstrates the feasibility of sum-product inference strategy to recover functional belief marginals from highly situations, relaxing prolific unimodal Gaussian assumption. The is more focused than conventional multi-hypothesis approaches, but still captures dominant modes via multi-modality. proposed algorithm exists...

One application for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is detecting and classifying hazardous objects on the seabed. An acoustic approach to this problem has been studied in which an source insonifies seabed target while receiving AUVs with passive sensing payloads discriminate targets based features of three dimensional scattered fields. The OASES-SCATT simulator was used study how scattering data collected by mobile receivers around insonified sources might be sphere cylinder...

Localization of acoustic sources using a sensor array is typically performed by estimating direction-of-arrival (DOA) via beamforming the signals recorded all elements. Software-based conventional (CBF) forces trade-off between memory usage and direction resolution, since time delays associated with set directions over which beamformer steered must be pre-computed stored, limiting number look to available platform memory. This paper describes DOA localization method that memory-efficient for...

The recent development of very low-cost, miniature autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) has lowered the barrier toward deployment multiple AUVs for spatially distributed sensing. However, these introduce size, power, and cost constraints that prevent use traditional approaches vehicle self-localization, such as Doppler velocity log (DVL)-aided inertial navigation. In this work, we describe a system estimates vehicle's position relative to single acoustic transmitter. transmitter...

One of the factors that significantly affects bistatic scattering from seabed targets is bottom type. This factor has potential to impact classification, as models do not take composition into account could improperly characterize target type, geometry, or material. paper looks at and self-burial on spherical cylindrical in a 6.5 m deep environment with mud sand bottom. Sphere cylinder data an autonomous underwater vehicle-based experiment are compared simulation range compositions burial...

The long-term goal of ARPA-E's MARINER (Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources) program is to increase the scale offshore kelp aquaculture so that biofuel may be derived from macroalgae. An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) system including acoustic, optic, and environmental sensors has been developed for purposes monitoring these large-scale farms. primary sensor observing farm infrastructure such as horizontal longlines (from which grows) well growth a broadband split-beam...

Characterization of seabed targets using networks Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) is great interest for harbor security. The imaging sensors generally used target localization and classification are expensive outfitting multiple AUVs produce data that difficult to use real-time onboard classification. An approach this problem has been developed in which an acoustic source insonifies with inexpensive hydrophone nose arrays sample the resulting scattered fields. These fields consist...

Abstract Underwater digital in‐line holography can provide high‐resolution, in situ imagery of marine particles and offers many advantages over alternative measurement approaches. However, processing holograms requires computationally expensive reconstruction processing, computational cost increases with the size imaging volume. In this work, a pipeline is developed to extract targets from where target distribution relatively sparse without full hologram. This motivated by desire efficiently...

Acoustic scattering from elastic cylinders has been studied extensively over the last few decades. However, vast majority of theoretical investigations have focused on idealized plane wave, point receiver solutions, ignoring realistic sonar effects. transducers are characterized by spherically spreading waves and often transmit receive beams that directional. Because spreading, even during broadside measurements, these sonars excite obliquely. This investigation involves acoustic...

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) pose significant communication challenges: are submerged for periods of time in which speed-of-light is impossible. This a particular problem on low-cost AUV platforms, acoustic modems not available to get vehicle state or provide re-deploy commands. We investigate one possible method providing operators with line these by using noise both classify behavior and command them. In this scheme, processing data from hydrophone arrays mode estimates AUVs...

The 2021 collaborative Sea Ice Dynamics Experiment (SIDEx'21) was conducted in March and April on an ice floe the Beaufort included comprehensive instrumentation measurement of during spring breakup. Part this sensing suite extensive network seismo-acoustic sensors deployed at a multiyear/first-year boundary with hydrophones under geophones top thicknesses ranging from one meter to five thickness. At center array cabled system 18 subarrays four three-axis spanning diamond minor axis 60 m...

In May 2014, the MIT Laboratory for Autonomous Marine Sensing Systems (LAMSS) participated in BAYEX'14 experiment with goal of collecting full bistatic data sets around proud spherical and cylindrical targets use real-time autonomous target localization classification. The BAYEX source was set to insonify both targets, triggered ping at start each second using GPS PPS. Bluefin 21 in. AUV Unicorn, fitted a 16-element nose array, deployed broadside sampling behaviors collect scattered set....

Historically, visual observation is an emergency responder's first ‘tool’ in identifying spilled oil. Optical detection has since expanded to include a myriad of signals from space, aircraft, drone, vessel and submersible platforms that can provide critical information for decision-making during spill response efforts. Spill monitoring efforts below the air-water interface have been vastly improved by advances with situ optical sensors vehicle platform technology. techniques using...