YIP: Generic Environment Models (GEMs) for Agile Marine Autonomy

Abstract

This project builds a roadmap to achieve agile marine autonomy that endows unmanned marine systems with ability to take fast responses to environmental changes. Agile marine autonomy may help unmanned systems to out maneuver opponents in future naval battles. The proposal will overcome the demand for significant amount of computing resources and complex software packages from existing ocean modeling methods. The technical objectives include the following: 1. Establish the methodology of constructing generic environment models (GEMs). A GEM does not rely on a specific region or a specific ocean process. It can have higher resolution in both space and time and can be computed much faster than classical ocean models. In combination with existing ocean models, GEMs enable navigation of mobile agents in the marine environment in real time. 2. Develop control and navigation algorithms that benefit from the GEMs. GEM provides fast information to unmanned systems whose motion also affects the quality of GEMs. Through a new theory called Controlled Lagrangian Particle Tracking (CLPT), we develop methods to refine control and navigation algorithms due to GEMs. 3. Provide multi-disciplinary training to graduate and undergraduate students who will be the future task-force in marine technology. GEMs for agile marine autonomy reflect a tight integration of research in robotics/control with research in physical oceanography. On one hand, it may significantly extend the capabilities of existing ocean modeling theory to better serve operations of autonomous agents. On the other hand, it may results in novel map-making methods and navigation methods in four-dimensional marine processes that have not been achieved in the field of robotics. Therefore, the proposed research program may create new opportunities to advance both oceanography and robotics/control engineering research.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 2012
Accession Number
ADA590320

Entities

People

  • Fumin Zhang

Organizations

  • Georgia Tech

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Autonomy
  • Cyber
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Algorithms
  • Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
  • Autonomy
  • Computer Science
  • Control Systems
  • Control Systems Engineering
  • Engineering
  • Environment
  • Marine Systems (Military)
  • Motion Planning
  • Navigation
  • Ocean Currents
  • Oceanography
  • Oceans
  • Students
  • Underwater Gliders
  • Unmanned Systems

Readers

  • Agent-Based Social Robotics and Mobile-Assisted Learning in Virtual Environments.
  • Marine Propulsion Engineering and Naval Architecture
  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.

Technology Areas

  • AI & ML
  • AI & ML - Autonomous Systems
  • AI & ML - DoD AI Strategy
  • Autonomy
  • Autonomy - Autonomous System Control
  • Space
  • Space - Spacecraft Maneuvers