TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Ground/Sea Vehicles, Sensors

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMS 403, PMS 480

OBJECTIVE: Enable low cost AUV’s by developing new feature based navigation and sensing technologies that exploit multiple low resolution environmental cues to provide an alternative to costly AUV component systems such as IMUs (Inertial Measurement Units).

DESCRIPTION: Current AUVs employ expensive systems for navigation that substantially drive up the vehicle costs, and limit the potential of small AUVs for a variety of missions for surveillance, MCM, and harbor defense. The cost of IMU (Inertial Measurement Units) to support navigation is a substantial hurdle for acquisition and use of small AUVs for missions such as mine neutralization or multi-vehicle survey and surveillance. An alternative approach, and one used by animals, is that of feature based navigation. Animal navigation exploits fusion of multiple low resolution cues, such as geomagnetoreception of magnetic inclination and local magnetic field anomalies (sea turtles), celestial cues, including light polarization vectors, and electric fields. Moreover, there are gravitational field anomolies that can also be mapped and exploited for navigation. Recent advances in MEMs sensors allow affordable and compact sensing of navigation cues such as magenetic inclination and electric fields. Prior mapping of an area using these alternative field sensing modes can also provide a feature map that can be exploited for navigation and homing of an AUV employing a simpler imaging system.

PHASE I: Develop a design and identify system components and costs for AUV navigation that exploits fusion of multiple low resolution cues such as magnetic field inclination and local anomalies, electric field, gravity anomalies, optical or celestial cues into a feature based navigation framework. Consider the cost and performance. Identify source of sensors and perform initial sensing experiments to support feasibility of the design concept.

PHASE II: Develop, construct and test an integrated navigation system on a AUV based on the phase I design study and evaluate performance on a transit navigation task and feature based navigation to a target. Demonstrate mapping of an area using the field sensing mode(s) selected and navigation within that mapped area.

PHASE III: Produce and demonstrate an autonomous undersea vehicle the navigation system developed in phase I and II. Demonstrate performance in a range of aquatic environments and produce a production cost estimate for the navigation and sensor component systems.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Low cost AUVS are expected to be used in a wide variety of non military markets including: oil rig inspection, wharf and bridge pylons safety monitoring, harbor defense, port security, fishery studies, oceanography and more.

REFERENCES:
1. The Navy Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) Master Plan, Nov 9, 2004.

2. www.nmri.go.jp/main/cooperation/ujnr/24ujnr_paper_us/Ocean_Engineering_and_Resource/OERD_Wernli.doc

3. S. Johnsen & K. Lohmann, "The Physics and Neurobiology of Magnetoreception" Nature Reviews Neuroscience, vo. 6, P. 703-712, 2005.

4. A.D. Kalmijn, "Detection and Processing of Electromagnetic and near-field acoustic signals in elasmobranch fishes. Philos. Trans. R Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci., V. 355, p. 1135-1141, 2000.

5. J. Zhai, S. Dong, Z. Xing, J. Li, D. Viehland, "Geomagnetic sensor based on giant magnetoelectric effect", Applied Physics Letters, V. 91, 123513, 2007.

KEYWORDS: AUV, navigation, geomagnetic, biosonar, affordability, electric field, sensors, undersea vehicles