Makoto Ishitsuka

Development and Control of an Underwater Manipulator for AUV

This paper describes development & control of underwater manipulator for autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). First, we simulated motion of the robot. We designed manipulator using magnetic coupling mechanism for waterproof, and as one module including motor and motor driver. The system of AUV was developed using module system for easy connecting, simplification of wiring and improvement of reliability of connection. Finally, we developed AUV system and manipulator.

Modularity development and control of an underwater manipulator for AUV

This paper is development and control of an underwater manipulator for autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). First, we simulated motion of the manipulator and AUV to reach target position and decided parameter of manipulator using simulation results. The manipulator was designed using magnetic coupling mechanism for waterproof that uses magnetic force for transporting power over the wall, and as one module including motor and motor driver to need only power source and communication in the robot. The system of AUV was developed using module system for easy connecting, simplification of wiring and improvement of reliability of connection. Module system is small packaging system with small function and connectors using for connecting another module. Finally, the AUV system and the manipulator were developed using module system.

Applicability and improvement of underwater video mosaic system using AUV

In various inspections for the construction and the maintenance of port facilities, the underwater observation is a very important and an effective method. In general, the view of underwater video images is narrowly limited due to the turbidity of the sea water and the camera field angle. Therefore, the data processing such as mosaicing is necessary to observe the object over the wide range. However, the automization of mosaicing work is difficult, because of the insufficiency of the position information about underwater images. We have proposed an efficient mosaicing system of underwater images using AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle) mounting the video camera with the line-laser. It is preferable to take a movie from the same direction by a constant distance as much as possible to make an accurate mosaicing image efficiently. In proposed system, the attitude of AUV is controlled based on the distance and the inclination to the object calculated from the position of the laser line in obtained images. To make mosaicing image by proposed method, the image of the port structure with the laser line is acquired in a real sea area. And, the affine transformation, the projective transformation, and the method of using information about the laser line are used as a transformation method of images extracted from a movie of an actual port structure. In this paper, applicability and the improvement method of mosaicing procedure are discussed by comparing mosaicing images obtained by these methods.

An Adaptive Controller System Using mnSOM (2nd Report: Implementation into an Autonomous Underwater Robot)

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have great advantages for activities in deep oceans [1], and are expected as the attractive tool for underwater development or investigation near future. However, AUVs have various problems which should be solved such as motion control, acquisition of sensors’ information, behavioral decision, navigation without collision, self-localization and so on. Therefore, the AUVs should be autonomous and adaptive to their environment.