전기장 기반 수중로봇의 위치추정 정밀도 향상을 위한 수중 전기장 센서 전극 배치 분석

Abstract

We studied effects of electrode configurations of underwater electric field sensors (EFS) on the electro-localization accuracy of underwater robots. An underwater robot equipped with an EFS measures 3-D electric field that is induced by an electric landmark; the electric landmark generates predefined electric field signatures around itself. The paths of the underwater robot are predicted by comparing the measured electric field signatures and their theoretical calculations at the same measurement conditions. In this study, computer simulations were conducted in which an underwater robot measured electric field signatures with EFSs of different electrode configurations and performed its localization with the measurements. The results show that if the underwater robot is sufficiently close to the electric landmark, the localization accuracy when using the EFS with less number of electrodes is similar to that when using the EFS with more number of electrodes. The results would contribute to suggest the use of smaller and cheaper EFSs for navigation of underwater robots according to the robots’ exploration range and other measurement conditions.