Development and experimental testing of the Girona AUV autonomous docking using a novel marker design for underwater localization
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The development of underwater technology can be justified because of the need for tools that can inspect and maintain structures underwater, like offshore wind turbines or oil and gas extraction facilities. Adding on, the ocean floor is not completely explored yet, only about 5% of it has been explored [4].
The maintenance for underwater structures can be done using an Underwater manned Vehicle or Remotely operated vehicle [5]. Still, such vehicles cost up to $30k [6] per day of operation. So for present applications, the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) are consolidated to solve the problem but in the future, the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) will become a better choice for long-time inspection and continuous projects.
Comparing AUV’s to submersibles, AUV’s main difference is the automation, which allows it to inspect wider areas without the limitation of wire connection, while the ROV needs to be connected to the host by a physical cable. Another submersible that can perform underwater operations is the manned underwater vehicle. The manned vehicles require high safety precautions to protect the onboard crew.
Considering the previously mentioned details and targets, the main goal of this master thesis can be specified as:
Experimental testing to perform a successful autonomous docking of the Girona AUV in its DS in a controlled environment using the UM for localization.
The research questions can be presented as follow:
1. Can a new marker be developed for underwater localization, that satisfies long-term deployment scenario requirements, based on computer vision?
2. Can the Girona AUV achieve an autonomous dock with the GDS design, or further improvements are required?
3. Is the novel underwater marker proposal appropriate for the docking station system?