A2I2 Extension: V&V of a semi-autonomous system in an operational environment

A2 I2项目一直在开发无系绳水下机器人平台，使无人操作成为物理基础设施检查和轻型干预任务的标准，主要是在海上和核领域。我们正在开发小型的，具有悬停能力的自主水下航行器（AUV），配备了新颖的视觉映射系统，并增强和验证了船上的自主性。平台的设计是可扩展的，能够跨域工作。它们能够执行非常近距离的检查和干预任务，例如阴极保护调查、取芯、目视检查和计量以及移动小物件（例如在核池中）。主要传感设备是Roxley的SubSLAM立体相机系统，以及相关的计算机视觉软件，可以创建环境的3D地图。3D数据有多种用途：通过为导航软件提供3D占用网格，在复杂、混乱的环境中实现安全导航;通过机器学习物体识别实现目标定位;以及作为度量测量输出。为了使A2 I2机器人能够在敏感基础设施附近安全机动，联盟正在解决当前的技术限制：* 在杂乱的水下环境中的感知能力 *（故障安全）在敏感基础设施附近操作 * 基础设施附近的精确操纵和控制 * 在具有挑战性的水下环境中与机器人通信。A2 I2提供了一个步骤-在海上可再生能源弹射器的支持下，在海上领域工作的联盟成员（Roadhouse，NOC和D-RisQ）将利用这笔额外的资金在海上操作环境中演示，验证和验证系统。这将对感知系统和车辆进行改进，并将纳入最后响应引擎软件，以管理连接丢失或其他关键事件时的行为。我们将为该系统开发一个安全案例，该项目将通过演示一个半自主的资产（即出口电缆和电缆）调查来达到高潮。这是业务能力的重大变化。该系统最终将消除对船舶上的领航员的需求，因为车辆只需要远程进行监督。这反过来又通过允许使用更小、燃料消耗更少的船只来降低运营的成本和环境影响。由于COVID-19的直接影响，目前减少机组人员的努力正在加速采用远程和自主技术，该后续项目进行V&V演示，以加速技术推向市场。

The A2I2 project have been developing untethered, underwater robotic platforms which make unmanned operations the standard for inspection and light intervention tasks for physical infrastructure, primarily in the offshore and nuclear domains. We are developing small, hover-capable Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) equipped with a novel visual mapping system and enhanced & verified on-board autonomy. The designs of the platforms are scalable enabling work across domains. They are capable of conducting very close inspection and intervention tasks, such as cathodic protection surveys, coring, visual inspection and metrology and moving small items (e.g. in nuclear ponds).The primary sensing apparatus is Rovco's SubSLAM stereo camera system, with associated computer vision software to allow the creation of 3D maps of the environment. The 3D data serves multiple purposes: enabling safe navigation in complex, cluttered environments by providing a 3D occupancy grid for guidance software; allowing localisation of targets detected by machine learning object recognition; and as metric survey output.To enable the A2I2 robots to manoeuvre safely near sensitive infrastructure, the consortia are addressing current technological limitations:* Perception in cluttered underwater environments* Robust (Fail Safe) operation near sensitive infrastructure* Precision manoeuvring and control near infrastructure* Communication with robots in challenging underwater environments.A2I2 provides a step-change beyond SotA in artificial intelligence control and communications.The consortia members working in the offshore domain (Rovco, NOC and D-RisQ), supported by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, will use this additional funding to demonstrate, verify and validate the system in the offshore operational environment. This will see improvements made to the perception system and the vehicle and would incorporate last response engine software to manage behaviour in the event of connection loss or other critical events. We will develop a safety case for the system and the project will culminate by demonstrating a semi-autonomous survey of an asset (i.e export cable and monopile) with a human in the loop. This is a significant step-change in operational capability. The system will ultimately remove the need for pilot operators to be present on the vessel, as the vehicle requires only supervision which can be conducted remotely. This in turn reduces the costs and environmental impact of operations by allowing smaller, less fuel consuming vessels to be used. The current drive to reduce crew as a direct impact of COVID-19 is accelerating the adoption of remote and autonomous technologies, this follow-on project performs the V&V demonstrations to accelerate the technology to market.