CPS:Small:Data-driven Re-configurable Swarm of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles for Underwater Wireless Communication

该项目的目标是利用一群小型自主水下机器人(AUV)实现高带宽的水下无线通信，这些AUV将激光束从海床转发到海洋表面。这种方法是对专门设计的AUV的先进控制，以及对洋流的预测，这样每个AUV单元就可以可靠地从较低深度的单元接收信号，放大信号并将其发送到上面的下一个单元，直到信号到达表面，在那里它可以很容易地到达卫星，从而到达世界上的任何地方。水下无线数据通信是海洋工程中最重要的突出问题之一，阻碍了几乎所有的重大科学考察和产业发展。这是因为无线电波被水大量吸收(例如，水下没有手机、Wi-Fi或全球定位系统(GPS))，声波的数据传输速率很低。本文提出的实时海底监测技术为研究人员和工程技术人员提供了一种新的、独特的工具来仔细执行、观察和评估深海勘探和作业。其关键技术目标是展示通过一群AUV进行无线高带宽水下数据通信的第一个概念验证。对于可见光，可获得水中电磁波的最大范围(最小吸收)。因此，AUV单元的指向精度和灵活性是成功的关键挑战。所提出的受控群体运动采用分层控制体系结构，包括集中式和分散式控制器的组合，以最大限度地提高通信线路的自主性、可靠性和鲁棒性。制造的AUV单元具有三层稳定系统，为每个单元提供所需的敏捷性、姿态精度和稳定性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The goal of this project is to achieve high-bandwidth underwater wireless communication using a flock of small Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) that relay a laser beam from the seabed to the surface of the ocean. The approach is advanced control of specially-designed AUVs, along with prediction of ocean currents, so that each AUV unit can reliably receive the signal from a unit at a lower depth, amplify the signal and send it to the next unit above, until the signal reaches the surface where it can easily reach satellites and hence anywhere in the world. Underwater wireless data communication is one of the most important outstanding problems in ocean engineering, impeding nearly all major research expeditions and inhibiting industrial development. This is because radio waves are heavily absorbed by water (e.g. no cell phones, Wi-Fi, or Global Positioning System (GPS) underwater), and acoustic waves have low data-transfer rates. A real-time seabed monitoring technology, as proposed here, gives researchers and engineers a novel and unique tool to carefully perform, watch, and assess deep ocean explorations and operations.The key technical objective is to demonstrate the first proof-of-concept of wireless high-bandwidth underwater data communication via a flock of AUVs. Maximum range (minimum absorption) of electromagnetic waves in water is obtained for visible light. Therefore, pointing precision and agility of AUV units are the key challenges to success. The proposed controlled swarm motion uses a hierarchical control architecture comprising a combination of centralized and decentralized controllers to maximize the communication line's autonomy, reliability, and robustness. The fabricated AUV units feature a three-layer stabilization system that provides the needed agility, attitude accuracy, and stability for each unit.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.