Research Exchange: Terrain-relative-navigation of AUVs: From the Seafloor to Drifting Icebergs

Terrain-relative-navigation of AUVs: From the Seafloor to Drifting Icebergs

Lecture: Research Exchange | December 8 | 12-1 p.m. | Sutardja Dai Hall, Banatao Aud., 3rd floor

Stephen Rock, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University

CITRIS (Ctr for Info Technology Research in the Interest of Society)

Live broadcast at mms://media.citris.berkeley.edu/webcast; Questions can be sent via Yahoo IM to username: citrisevents. The schedule for the fall Research Exchange is at http://www.citris-uc.org/events/RE-fall2010.

Abstract:
One of the key challenges to enabling an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to explore an unknown environment is the ability to navigate. In the past, navigation was typically done using either an acoustic array or by dead-reckoning based on inertial instruments. More recently, techniques have been demonstrated in which an AUV determines its position with respect to the terrain directly by correlating either video or sonar data in real time with a map of that terrain. This map can exist a priori, or can be generated as part of a SLAM implementation. This talk will review these techniques and present an extension that will enable an AUV to navigate with respect to a moving object such as an iceberg. Results will be presented from recent field trials in the Monterey Bay and an expedition to the Scotia Sea.

STEPHEN M. ROCK is a professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and is the director of the Aerospace Robotics Laboratory at Stanford University. He also holds an Adjunct position at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Dr. Rock’s interests include the development and experimental verification of advanced control techniques for robotic and autonomous vehicle systems. Dr. Rock joined the Stanford faculty in 1988, and is a Fellow of the AIAA.

citriseditor@citris-uc.org, 510-643-4866

Coming Soon. Event will be webcast live and then put on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/citris