An AUV Manipulator/Vision System for Autonomous Interventions

皮？S要求提供资金，以开发一个自主系统，使用安装在自主水下机器人上的机器人对海底的生物和地质标本进行远程采样。来自名为阿凡达的立体相机系统的视觉传感将与武士水下机械手的控制系统相集成，以产生一个强大的自主采样系统。此外，前端图形用户命令界面将集成到系统中，以允许从遥控潜水器(ROV)和载人潜水器实时指定用于自主采样或其他灵活操作的目标。这种先进的自主采样系统的实用性将通过与伍兹霍尔海洋研究所的研究人员合作，在科德角海岸外的海试和大西洋科学邮轮上执行标本的操作采样任务来展示。武士/阿凡达系统将为海洋科学家提供从任何悬停的海底航行器进行自主或远程操作干预任务的能力。当使用水下机器人或阿尔文等载人潜水器时，操作员将能够指定采样目标，然后？不插手？同时系统执行采样。这将极大地减少ROV操作员在最复杂任务中的工作量，并有可能增加样本采集的可靠性和重复性。更广泛的影响：拟议的系统将适用于从海底科学到残疾人援助等一系列科学和实际利益。这还将在空间界和海洋界之间建立合作，解决这两个领域共同存在的问题。该项目还将为几名研究生和本科生提供教育体验。这一发展的成功有可能用制定目标检测的标准和开发相应的计算机视觉算法来取代(在采样现场)高技能手动操作员的存在的必要性。因此，它允许广泛的感兴趣的人提供意见，包括那些不能亲自参加探险的人。开发一种强大的自动采样系统将对在偏远和危险环境中运行的其他车辆有用--在冰下、外层空间、洞穴探险和火山研究中。

The PI?s request funding to develop an autonomous system for remote sampling of biological and geological specimens from the sea floor using a robotic manipulator mounted on an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Visual sensing from a stereoscopic camera system called AVATAR will be integrated with the control system for the SAMURAI underwater manipulator to produce a robust autonomous sampling system. In addition, a front-end graphical user command interface will be integrated to the system to allow real-time designation of targets for autonomous sampling or other dexterous manipulation from remotely operated vehicles (ROV) and manned submersibles. The utility of this advanced autonomous sampling system will be demonstrated by teaming with investigators at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution by conducting operational sampling tasks of specimens in sea trials off the coast of Cape Cod and on an Atlantic scientific cruise. The SAMURAI/AVATAR system will provide marine scientists with the capability of autonomous or teleoperated interventional tasks from any hovering undersea vehicle. When ROVs or manned submersibles such as Alvin are being used, operators will be able to designate sampling targets and then go ?hands-off? while the system performs the sampling. This should dramatically reduce the workload on ROV operators in the most complex tasks, as well as potentially increase the reliability and repeatability of sample collection. Broader Impacts:The proposed system would have application to a range of scientific and practical interests ranging from undersea science to aids for the disabled. This would also create a collaboration between the space and oceanographic communities for a problem that is common to both fields. The project would also provide an educational experience for several graduate and undergraduate students. The success in this development has the potential to replace the necessity of presence (on a sampling site) of a highly skilled manual operator with a formulation of criteria for target detection and development of corresponding computer vision algorithms. Hence it allows for input from a wide range of interested persons, including those who cannot personally participate in an expedition. Development of a robust automatic sampling system is going to be useful for other vehicles operating in remote and hazardous environments - under ice, in the outer space, in speleological expeditions, in volcanic research.