Affiliation:
1. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
2. Meiji University
Abstract
The development of multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) has
revolutionized the traditional reliance on a single, costly AUV for
conducting underwater surveys. This shift has garnered increasing
interest among marine researchers. Communication between AUV fleets is
an urgent concern due to the data rate limitation of underwater
acoustic communication. Laser-based underwater wireless optical
communication (UWOC) is a potential solution once the
link-establishing requirement between AUVs can be met. Due to the
limited coverage area of the laser beam, the previous pointing,
acquisition, and tracking (PAT) method is to quickly adjust the beam
direction and search for the target according to the set scanning
path. In response to these challenges, we propose a scalable
laser-based link establishment method that combines the maneuvering of
the AUV, the acoustic positioning, and the control of the optical
system. Our proposed approach has consistently outperformed the
existing PAT method in simulated environments, effectively
establishing laser links. Importantly, we have successfully
implemented our approach in machine experiments, confirming its
practical applicability.
Subject
Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics,Engineering (miscellaneous),Electrical and Electronic Engineering