Marine Robotics Applications |
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This research of the Multi-robot Systems group aims to investigate problems and applications of Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) in marine environments. In order to achieve such goals, an integration of principles and theoretical background of the behaviors of a MAV and/or a swarm of MAVs with methodology/theory describing cooperative localization and cooperative perception of autonomous robots is needed. Furthermore, multi-robot system control and principles of adaptation to the unfriendly environment for MAVs leading to a flexible stand-alone system are investigated. This research will enable the applicability of MAVs in realistic marine scenarios of surveillance, reconnaissance, search and rescue, and so on. Basically, we develop techniques that enable MAVs to interact with Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) and objects on water and monitor and interact with a water environment from an aerial perspective. This enables to employ of MAVs outside laboratories equipped with a precise motion and positioning system.
Precise capture of objects on the water by a group of UAVs-USVs, optimal physical interaction between UAVs and USVs, and visually detecting any object or water phenomena are among the applications researched. To enable these multi-robot applications, theoretical principles for object detection on the water with respect to its pose, mass, and shape, a precise control system robust to uncertainties, and precise coordination in a multi-robot heterogeneous group are designed based on methods of artificial intelligence and vision systems such as deep reinforcement learning, as well as model predictive controllers. This research is aimed at the study of UAV applications in cooperation with marine robots. In addition to the development of the theory of coordinated motion of the multi-robot system members, our research also concerns the development of the sensory equipment as well as new MAV platforms needed for real-world MAV flights, and subsequent integration of the observational constraints it induces on the MAV control in use. The research conducted in this stream is closely coordinated with the research on multi-robot systems being also realized within the Multi-robot Systems group. Our state-of-the-art approaches in the research of marine robotics applications and description of developed methods can be found in papers chronologically listed below. MAV platform:
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Examples of research results |
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Side-Pull Maneuver: A novel control strategy for dragging a cable-tethered load (video featured in RA-L 2022).This work presents an approach for dealing with suspended-cable load transportation using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), specifically when the cargo overcomes the lifting capacity. Herein, this approach is referred to as the Side-Pull Maneuver (SPM). This maneuver is an alternative and viable strategy for cases where there is no impediment or restriction to dragging the load along a surface, such as with pastures or marine environments. The proposal is based on a joint observation of the thrust and altitude of the UAV. To make this possible, the high-level rigid-body dynamics model is described and represented as an underactuated system. Its altitude-rate control input is then analyzed during flight. A flight state supervisor decides whether the cargo should be carried by lifting or by side-pulling, or whether it should be labeled as non-transportable. Comparative real experiments validate the proposal according to which maneuver (lifting or dragging) is performed for transport. |
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Our platforms in action:
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MAV Langind on a USV in harsh winds and turbulent open-waters Landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on top of an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) in harsh sea conditions is a challenging problem owing to the forces that can damage the UAV due to severe roll and/or pitch angle of the boat during touchdown. In this research, we propose a novel model predictive control (MPC) approach that enables a UAV to land autonomously on a USV in open-waters and windy conditions. The MPC employs a novel objective function and an online decomposition of the motion of the vessel, that is oscillating in waves, in order to attempt and complete the landing during near-zero tilt of the landing platform. The nonlinear prediction of the motion of the vessel is performed using visual data from an on-board camera. And thus, the system doesn’t require any communication with the USV or any control station. The proposed method was analysed in numerous robotics simulations in harsh and extreme conditions and further validated in various real-world conditions.
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State Estimation of an Unmanned Surface Vehicle by a UAV This work dealt with design, implementation, and verification of a system for state estimation of an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) known as a boat by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). First, linear and nonlinear mathematical models of the boat extended by wave dynamics are presented. Introduced mathematical models of the boat are used by Kalman filters that perform estimation of boat states using data from UAV onboard sensors. Kalman filters also use data received from sensors placed on the boat, which is sent to the UAV by a wireless communication link. The result of this thesis is a UAV onboard system that provides state estimation of the boat moving on a wavy water surface. The estimation system of boat states is implemented into the UAV control system. The presented estimation system was verified by conducting real-world experiments. |
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