RI: Small: RUI: Shark Tracking with Multiple Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

该项目正在开发水下声学跟踪策略，用于定位和跟踪具有长距离迁徙路径的特定种类的标记鲨鱼。该项目的一个独特之处在于，接收器将安装在一组自主水下航行器（AUV）上，使它们能够协同估计鲨鱼的位置，从而使AUV能够持续跟踪和跟踪鲨鱼。AUV团队的机动性和调整自身路径以响应鲨鱼运动的能力使其能够获得通常用于监测鲨鱼行为的静态接收器系统无法获得的原位测量结果。由于其跨学科性质，本项目将在工程学（水下航行器自主与控制）和生物科学（鲨鱼行为表征、生活史和栖息地利用）方面做出贡献。正在开发状态估计的新方法。为这个应用程序创建一个成功的估计器的关键将是结合鲨鱼运动的运动学和动力学模型。考虑到追踪高速行进的鲨鱼的难度，新的控制策略也是必要的。跟踪控制器通常不会考虑保持分离距离以确保AUV不影响鲨鱼行为的额外约束。进行鲨鱼追踪实验的最终目标将是同类实验中的第一次。此外，从实验所得的实际数据中可以得出许多优点。具体来说，这个项目中的工程是由确定当地海洋环境变量（如温度，流速）和鲨鱼行为（如迁徙路径选择，栖息地使用）之间关系的目标驱动的。虽然对鲨鱼的生理和行为有相当多的了解，但对鲨鱼的运动及其在不同行为中相关的能量使用还没有精确的时间尺度研究。这项工作包括开发新的AUV采样技术，这些技术可以推广并应用于研究各种形式的海洋生物，除了生态贡献外，该研究还适用于与安全海上航行、国土安全和军事相关的其他任务。

This project is developing underwater acoustic tracking strategies for locating and tracking particular species of tagged sharks that have long distance migratory paths. A unique aspect of this project is that receivers will be onboard a team of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV), enabling them to cooperatively estimate the shark position, thereby allowing the AUVs to track and follow the shark for sustained periods of time. The AUV team's mobility and ability to modify its own path in response to shark movement allows it to obtain in-situ measurements that cannot be obtained from static receiver systems typically used for monitoring shark behavior. Due to its interdisciplinary nature, this project will make contributions in both Engineering (AUV autonomy and control) and Biological Sciences (shark behavior characterization, life history, and habitat utilization). New approaches to state estimation are being developed. A key to creating a successful estimator for this application will be incorporating kinematic and dynamic models of shark locomotion. Novel control strategies are also necessary given the difficulty of tracking sharks that can travel at high speed. Tracking controllers don't typically consider the additional constraint of maintaining a separation distance to ensure the AUV doesn't affect shark behavior. The end goal of conducting shark tracking experiments will be the first of its kind. Additionally, much merit will be derived from the actual data the experiments yield. Specifically, the engineering within this project is driven by the goal of determining the relationships between local ocean environment variables (e.g. temperatures, current velocities) and shark behavior (e.g. migration path choices, habitat use). While there is considerable knowledge of shark physiology and behavior, there are no fine scale time studies of shark motion and its associated energy use within different behaviors.This work includes developing new AUV sampling technologies that can be generalized and applied to studying various forms of marine life, and in addition to the ecological contributions, the research is applicable to other tasks associated with safe marine navigation, homeland security, and the military.