MARSH: Marine Autonomy Research Facility
Abstract
Advancing autonomous capabilities of marine robotic systems is a core focus area for the Robotics Institute at the University of Michigan (UM) and a critical research thrust for the Office of Naval Research (ONR). Through this DURIP proposal, the PIs are seeking funding to develop the Marine Autonomy Research (MARSH) Facility, a 1360 cubic foot wet research facility at UM to support and enhance existing ONR-funded research in robot autonomy and to enable future research and teaching endeavors in the area of autonomous marine systems. Focus areas of fundamental research supported by this proposal include: • Robot control and autonomous behavior: enhancing autonomy of marine robot control systems in adversarial environments by establishing assured safety and security against adversarial agents. • Marine sensing and perception: developing novel sensor suites, software, and algorithms for sensor processing, multi-sensor fusion, and marine robot perception that address robot sensing challenges unique to underwater environments. • Multi-vehicle/multi-agent coordination: developing methods for robust multi-vehicle/multiagent coordination capable of operating in resource-constrained and communication-limited subsea environments. The envisioned facility will enable real-time control and precise software validation for future research in robust marine autonomy. To accomplish these research aims, the PIs seek funding for: • A fiberglass reinforced polymer (FRP) water tank with approximate dimensions of 10’ width x 17’ length x 8’ depth to support operations and testing across a range of marine robot platforms. • A twin Qualisys Motion Capture system with combined above water and underwater motion capture capabilities to enable real-time control and detailed analysis of developed methods for robot autonomy. • Equipment for operations support and maintenance including a ramp and lift for moving equipment into and out of the tank to ensure safe operations, and a tank filter for long-term maintenance. The proposed facility will support experiments across a host of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs). The testbed will be large enough to support underwater swarms of micro-AUVs. Sensors supported will include underwater stereo cameras and acoustic sensors widely used in marine robotics. The proposed twin motion capture system will provide a unique asset for thorough analysis and quantitative evaluation of developed algorithms for marine autonomy. Furthermore, the facility will enhance research-related education activities relevant to ONR’s mission by supporting student teams focused on marine autonomous systems as well as enabling hands-on coursework activities at the undergraduate and graduate level.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 06, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312280
Entities
People
- Dimitra Panagou
Organizations
- Board of Regents of the University of Michigan
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy