An underwater node laying and recovering system and method based on AUV deep-sea in-situ replenishment

Abstract

The application discloses a seabed node laying and recovering system and method based on AUV deep-sea in-situ supply, and belongs to the technical field of marine exploration equipment. The load and energy of AUV are limited, and AUV can only carry a small amount of nodes at a time, and needs to return to the mother ship frequently for replenishment and charging after laying, thereby leading to low operation efficiency. The application comprises an underwater robot and a recovery cabin, the recovery cabin is arranged at a specified position on the seabed and is used for storing functional nodes, and the recovery cabin is provided with a charging device and can charge the underwater robot; the underwater robot comprises a robot body, a mechanical claw and a node storage cabin, the node storage cabin is arranged below the robot body and is used for storing nodes to be laid, the node storage cabin is provided with a hatch, the mechanical claw is arranged in the node storage cabin and is used for grabbing the functional nodes and laying the functional nodes at the specified position through the hatch; after the underwater robot completes laying of the functional nodes at a time, the underwater robot returns to the recovery cabin to replenish the functional nodes, so that the next node laying can be performed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of marine exploration equipment technology, and in particular relates to a seabed node deployment and recovery system and method based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply. Background Technology

[0002] In marine exploration, functional nodes (such as seismic exploration nodes and environmental monitoring nodes) need to be deployed in designated areas on the seabed to collect key information such as seabed strata, resource distribution, and environmental parameters. This provides data support for resource development, engineering construction, scientific research, and maritime safety, and is an essential means of marine exploration. Traditional node deployment uses a towed cable method, where a mother ship tows a cable to transport the node to the target area for release. This method has significant shortcomings in deep-water environments: firstly, ocean currents can easily cause the towed cable to deviate, resulting in low positioning accuracy of the node and affecting the accuracy of the collected data; secondly, the operation process is cumbersome, the cable is prone to tangling and breakage, the operation is risky, and the operational range is limited by the depth of the water and the length of the cable.

[0003] Existing technologies utilize autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to replace towed cables, leveraging their advantages of autonomous navigation, precise positioning, and adaptability to wide water depths to achieve accurate deep-sea node deployment, thus improving deployment safety and positioning accuracy. Examples include the underwater robot deployment and recovery device, deployment method, recovery method, and unmanned vessel disclosed in CN11477174A. However, existing deep-sea node deployment methods still have shortcomings: AUVs have limited payload and energy, carrying only a small number of nodes at a time. After deployment, they need to frequently return to the mother ship to replenish nodes and recharge, resulting in a low percentage of effective working time and overall deployment efficiency that cannot meet the needs of large-scale marine exploration. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a seabed node deployment and recovery system and method based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply. The recovery capsule is arranged on the seabed, which shortens the distance of each resupply and recovery of the underwater robot. Each replenishment and deployment of the underwater robot's functional nodes can save a lot of time and energy, overcome the problem of low efficiency caused by frequent round trips to the surface for resupply in the existing solution, and improve the efficiency of operation.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] The first aspect of the present invention provides a seabed node deployment and recovery system based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply, comprising an underwater robot and a recovery compartment. The recovery compartment is arranged at a designated location on the seabed for storing functional nodes and is equipped with a charging device to charge the underwater robot. The underwater robot includes a robot body, a first mechanical claw, and a node storage compartment. The node storage compartment is arranged below the robot body for temporarily storing functional nodes to be deployed. The node storage compartment has a hatch, and the first mechanical claw is arranged inside the node storage compartment for grasping the functional nodes stored in the node storage compartment and deploying the functional nodes to the designated location through the hatch. After completing a single deployment of functional nodes, the underwater robot returns to the recovery compartment to replenish functional nodes for the next deployment.

[0007] Furthermore, the robot body is equipped with a camera and a light at the front end and a rudder at the rear end. The camera is used to collect underwater images, the light is used for auxiliary lighting on the seabed, and the rudder is used to adjust the attitude and direction of movement of the underwater robot. The robot body is equipped with a buoyancy adjustment device and multiple thrusters. The thrusters are used to drive the robot body to submerge. The buoyancy adjustment device is used to adjust the buoyancy of the underwater robot so that its buoyancy remains constant after the deployment or recovery function node.

[0008] Furthermore, the robot body is also equipped with a side-scan sonar, obstacle avoidance sonar, altimeter, strapdown inertial navigation system, and Doppler velocimeter. The side-scan sonar and obstacle avoidance sonar are used to acquire acoustic images of the seabed topography; the altimeter is used to measure the vertical distance between the underwater robot and the seabed in real time; the strapdown inertial navigation system is used to measure the three-dimensional attitude, velocity, and position information of the underwater robot; and the Doppler velocimeter is used to measure the three-dimensional motion velocity of the underwater robot.

[0009] Furthermore, the node storage compartment includes a first compartment body, a first transverse conveyor rail, a first longitudinal conveyor rail, and a first conveyor belt. The first transverse conveyor rail, the first longitudinal conveyor rail, and the first conveyor belt are all arranged inside the first compartment body. The first conveyor belt has multiple layers from top to bottom, forming a stepped structure, and functional nodes are stored on each layer of the first conveyor belt. The first transverse conveyor rail and the first longitudinal conveyor rail are arranged above the first conveyor belt. The first longitudinal conveyor rail can be driven by the first transverse conveyor rail and move along the first transverse conveyor rail. The first mechanical claw is installed on the first longitudinal conveyor rail and can be driven by the first longitudinal conveyor rail and move along the first longitudinal conveyor rail.

[0010] Furthermore, the node storage compartment is also equipped with a cleaning brush for cleaning and recycling functional nodes.

[0011] Furthermore, the recovery chamber includes a second chamber body, a second mechanical claw, a second transverse conveyor rail, a second longitudinal conveyor rail, and a second conveyor belt; the second transverse conveyor rail, the second longitudinal conveyor rail, and the second conveyor belt are all arranged inside the second chamber body. The second conveyor belt has multiple layers from top to bottom, forming a stepped structure, and functional nodes are stored on each layer of the second conveyor belt; a temporary storage point for functional nodes is provided in front of the second conveyor belt; the second transverse conveyor rail and the second longitudinal conveyor rail are arranged above the second conveyor belt. The second longitudinal conveyor rail can be driven by the second transverse conveyor rail and move along the second transverse conveyor rail. The second mechanical claw is installed on the second longitudinal conveyor rail and can be driven by the second longitudinal conveyor rail and move along the second longitudinal conveyor rail.

[0012] Furthermore, the hatch of the recovery capsule is equipped with an underwater indicator light.

[0013] Furthermore, the recovery capsule is equipped with an acoustic positioning beacon to guide the underwater robot to make a precise docking with the recovery capsule.

[0014] The second aspect of this invention provides a method for deploying and recovering seabed nodes based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply, which is implemented based on the aforementioned seabed node deployment and recovery system based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply. The specific deployment process is as follows:

[0015] S1, Deployment reference: The mother ship will sink the recovery capsule to the seabed and measure its coordinates as the initial positioning reference for the entire deployment operation.

[0016] S2, Planning acoustic beacon functional nodes: Plan the theoretical positions of all functional nodes in advance, and install acoustic positioning beacons on some of the functional nodes as positioning references for the subsequent deployment of functional nodes. Functional nodes with acoustic positioning beacons are called acoustic beacon functional nodes, and functional nodes without acoustic positioning beacons are called ordinary functional nodes.

[0017] S3, Establishing an acoustic beacon positioning network: Based on the position reference of the recovery capsule, and integrating data from the strapdown inertial navigation system and Doppler log, the underwater robot deploys the first acoustic beacon functional node to the planned location; subsequently, through two-way acoustic ranging between the underwater robot and the recovery capsule, the absolute seabed coordinates of the first acoustic beacon functional node are determined, thereby establishing an acoustic beacon positioning network that includes the recovery capsule and the first acoustic positioning beacon;

[0018] S4, Expanding the acoustic beacon positioning network: The underwater robot deploys acoustic beacon functional nodes and ordinary functional nodes according to the planned functional node deployment route and deployment rules, while expanding the acoustic beacon positioning network to improve the deployment accuracy of functional nodes.

[0019] Further, step S4 is achieved through the following steps: The underwater robot uses the established acoustic beacon positioning network to calculate its own position in real time and corrects its trajectory accordingly, navigating along the theoretical deployment route; after reaching the theoretical position of each ordinary functional node, the robot uses its mechanical claw to place the functional node on the seabed. At the moment the functional node touches the bottom, the underwater robot's position calculated by the acoustic beacon positioning network is recorded simultaneously, and combined with the underwater robot's attitude information, the actual coordinates of the functional node's bottom-touching point are calculated as its final deployment coordinates; after deploying a certain number of ordinary functional nodes, the underwater robot deploys the next acoustic beacon functional node along the theoretical deployment route. Subsequently, the underwater robot uses its own acoustic equipment to perform two-way acoustic ranging with the acoustic beacon functional node at its known coordinates, calculates and calibrates the absolute coordinates of the new acoustic beacon functional node using an adjustment algorithm, and incorporates it into the acoustic beacon positioning network, thereby expanding the acoustic beacon positioning network; this step is repeated until all functional nodes are deployed.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this invention compared to the prior art are:

[0021] 1. This invention utilizes a recovery capsule placed on the seabed to store a large number of functional nodes. After completing a single deployment task, the underwater robot can quickly return to the recovery capsule for resupply without surfacing, and then return to the designated area to continue deploying functional nodes. This process is repeated until all functional nodes are deployed. Positioning the recovery capsule on the seabed shortens the distance the underwater robot travels for each resupply and retrieval, saving significant time and energy for each deployment and replenishment of functional nodes. This overcomes the efficiency bottleneck caused by frequent surface resupply in existing solutions, thus improving operational efficiency. Furthermore, the recovery capsule is equipped with a charging device to recharge the underwater robot, eliminating the need for it to return to the surface for charging.

[0022] 2. The underwater robot of this invention can adopt an underactuated mode during long-distance cruising. This is achieved by reducing the number of thrusters used and combining the oscillation of the rudder wings with the buoyancy control of the buoyancy adjustment device, thereby effectively saving energy and extending the operation time. When it is necessary to deploy or retrieve functional nodes at specific locations, it switches to full-drive mode, activating all thrusters and buoyancy adjustment devices to achieve highly stable hovering and attitude adjustment, ensuring the accuracy of deployment or retrieval.

[0023] 3. The present invention uses a first mechanical claw to grab the functional node from the front end of the first conveyor belt and drives it to the hatch by the conveyor rail, ensuring that the functional node is placed stably and accurately on the seabed, fundamentally avoiding the positional deviation or node overturning caused by traditional free fall deployment.

[0024] 4. This invention first constructs a basic acoustic beacon positioning network using the recovery capsule and the first acoustic beacon functional node. Subsequently, after deploying a certain number of ordinary functional nodes, an acoustic beacon functional node is deployed immediately to ensure that the underwater robot can continuously receive acoustic beacon signals for two-way ranging. As the number of acoustic beacon functional nodes increases, the acoustic beacon positioning network expands continuously. Even as the underwater robot's travel distance increases, its positioning accuracy and stability can be gradually improved, and the deployment trajectory can be continuously corrected, enabling the robot to navigate strictly according to the preset path, thereby ensuring the deployment accuracy of each functional node. In addition, this acoustic beacon positioning network will play a role again during the mission recovery phase. When the underwater robot returns to the work area to recover functional nodes, the acoustic beacon positioning network can be reactivated. The acoustic beacon functional nodes provide a position reference that is completely consistent with that during the deployment phase, allowing the underwater robot to directly and accurately navigate to the vicinity of the actual location of each functional node to be recovered, greatly improving the success rate and efficiency of finding and recovering functional nodes in complex seabed terrain. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are provided to give a further understanding of the invention.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a seabed node deployment and recovery system based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply according to the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the underwater robot Figure 1 .

[0028] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the underwater robot Figure 2 .

[0029] Figure 4 This is a breakdown diagram of the robot body and the node storage compartment.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a top view of the robot itself.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the recovery capsule.

[0032] Figure 7 This is a flowchart for the deployment of functional nodes.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the layout of functional nodes.

[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0035] 1. Underwater robot; 11. Robot body; 111. Camera; 112. Buoyancy adjustment device; 113. Thruster; 114. Rudder; 115. Side-scan sonar; 116. Obstacle avoidance sonar; 117. Altimeter; 118. Strapdown inertial navigation system; 119. Doppler velocimeter; 12. Node storage compartment; 121. First compartment; 122. First lateral conveyor rail; 123. First conveyor belt; 124. Cleaning brush; 2. Recovery compartment; 21. Underwater indicator light; 22. Acoustic positioning beacon; 3. Functional node. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0037] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 This embodiment provides a seabed node deployment and recovery system based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply. By deploying functional nodes 3 and recovery capsules 2 with charging capabilities in designated areas on the seabed, and leveraging the autonomous navigation and precise positioning advantages of the underwater robot 1, the system accelerates the accurate deployment of nodes, enabling marine exploration. Specifically, combined with... Figure 1 The deep-sea node deployment system of this embodiment includes an underwater robot 1 and a recovery capsule 2. The recovery capsule 2 is deployed at a designated location on the seabed for storing functional nodes 3. The recovery capsule 2 is also equipped with a charging device to charge the underwater robot 1. The recovery capsule 2 is connected to the surface support vessel via a cable for data transmission. Figure 2 The underwater robot 1 includes a robot body 11, a first mechanical claw (not shown in the figure), and a node storage compartment 12. The node storage compartment 12 is located below the robot body 11 and is used to temporarily store functional nodes 3 to be deployed. The node storage compartment 12 has a hatch. The first mechanical claw is located inside the node storage compartment 12 and is used to grab the functional nodes 3 stored in the node storage compartment 12 and deploy the functional nodes 3 through the hatch to the designated location. After all the functional nodes 3 in the node storage compartment 12 have been deployed to the designated area, the underwater robot 1 can return to the recovery compartment 2 and replenish the functional nodes 3 to quickly carry out the next node deployment.

[0038] This embodiment utilizes a recovery capsule 2 placed on the seabed to store a large number of functional nodes 3. After completing a single deployment task, the underwater robot 1 can quickly return to the recovery capsule 2 underwater for resupply without surfacing, and then return to the designated area to continue deploying functional nodes 3. This process is repeated until all functional nodes 3 are deployed. Because this embodiment places the recovery capsule 2 on the seabed, it shortens the distance the underwater robot 1 travels for each resupply and retrieval. This saves significant time and energy for each deployment and replenishment of functional nodes 3, overcoming the efficiency bottleneck caused by frequent surface resupply in existing solutions and improving operational efficiency. Furthermore, the recovery capsule 2 is equipped with a charging device to charge the underwater robot 1, eliminating the need for it to return to the surface for recharging.

[0039] See Figure 1 In this embodiment, the robot body 11 has a high-definition underwater camera 111 and a deep-sea lighting lamp at its front end. The high-definition underwater camera 111 is used to collect underwater images, and the deep-sea lighting lamp is used for seabed illumination. The robot body 11 has a buoyancy adjustment device 112 and multiple thrusters 113 at its fuselage. The thrusters 113 are used to drive the robot body 11 submerged. The buoyancy adjustment device 112 is used to adjust the buoyancy of the underwater robot 1, so that after deploying or retrieving each functional node 3, the buoyancy of the underwater robot 1 remains constant, thus maintaining its attitude stability. The robot body 11 has a rudder 114 at its tail end. By swinging the rudder 114 and adjusting the thrust of the multiple thrusters 113, the navigation attitude of the robot body 11 can be controlled in a coordinated manner to complete the precise deployment of the functional nodes 3.

[0040] Among them, combined Figure 5 As shown, there are eight thrusters 113 arranged symmetrically, with four thrusters 113 arranged horizontally to provide horizontal thrust and deflection force for the underwater robot 1. Specifically, two of the four thrusters 113 are horizontally arranged at the front end of the fuselage, and these two thrusters 113 are deflected towards each other at a certain angle in the horizontal direction. The other two thrusters 113 are horizontally arranged in the opposite direction at the rear end of the fuselage, and these two thrusters 113 are deflected away from each other in the horizontal direction. When the thrust provided by the first two thrusters 113 is the same and greater than that of the last two thrusters 113, the underwater robot 1 travels forward in the horizontal direction. When the thrust provided by the first two thrusters 113 is the same and less than that of the last two thrusters 113, the underwater robot 1 travels backward in the horizontal direction. When the thrust of the four thrusters 113 is not exactly the same, the underwater robot 1 can deflect towards the side with the greater thrust, thus achieving turning. The other four thrusters 113 are arranged vertically and located at the front and rear of the fuselage, respectively, to provide vertical thrust for the underwater robot 1.

[0041] The buoyancy adjustment device 112 maintains a constant buoyancy state for the underwater robot 1 by changing its displacement volume (i.e., buoyancy) or its own weight (e.g., through suction and discharge). During the deployment of functional node 3, the underwater robot 1's weight decreases while its buoyancy relatively increases; conversely, during the recovery node, its weight increases while its buoyancy decreases. The buoyancy adjustment device 112 can compensate for these changes in real time, ensuring that the underwater robot 1 is always in a neutral or preset buoyancy state, thereby effectively reducing the energy consumption of the propulsion system and improving operational stability.

[0042] In this embodiment, the underwater robot 1 can adopt an underactuated mode during long-distance cruising (e.g., traveling back and forth between the seabed and the surface). This is achieved by reducing the number of thrusters 113 used and combining the oscillation of the rudder 114 with the buoyancy control of the buoyancy adjustment device 112, thereby effectively saving energy and extending the operation time. When it is necessary to perform fixed-point deployment or retrieval of functional node 3, it switches to full-drive mode, activating all thrusters 113 and buoyancy adjustment devices 112 (during which the rudder 114 remains stationary) to achieve highly stable hovering and attitude adjustment, ensuring the accuracy of deployment or retrieval.

[0043] In addition, combined Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 In this embodiment, the robot body 11 is also equipped with a side-scan sonar 115, an obstacle avoidance sonar 116, an altimeter 117, a strapdown inertial navigation system, and a Doppler velocimeter. The side-scan sonar 115 and obstacle avoidance sonar 116 are used to acquire acoustic images of the seabed topography; the altimeter 117 is used to measure the vertical distance of the underwater robot 1 from the seabed in real time and accurately; the strapdown inertial navigation system is used to measure the three-dimensional attitude, velocity, and position information of the underwater robot 1; the Doppler velocimeter is used to measure the three-dimensional motion velocity of the underwater robot 1 and provide acceleration or velocity information to the strapdown inertial navigation system, thereby improving positioning accuracy. The underwater robot 1 achieves high-precision autonomous navigation and positioning in the weak signal environment of the deep sea through multi-source data fusion, and assists the robot in seabed terrain matching and obstacle avoidance.

[0044] See Figure 4In this embodiment, the node storage compartment 12 includes a first compartment 121, a first transverse conveyor rail 122, a first longitudinal conveyor rail (not shown in the figure), and a first conveyor belt 123. The first transverse conveyor rail 122, the first longitudinal conveyor rail, and the first conveyor belt 123 are all arranged within the first compartment 121. The first conveyor belt 123 has multiple layers from top to bottom, forming a stepped structure. Specifically, the length of the uppermost first conveyor belt 123 is shorter than the length of the second-layer first conveyor belt 123, and the length of the second-layer first conveyor belt 123 is shorter than the length of the third-layer first conveyor belt 123. Functional nodes 3 are stored on each layer of the first conveyor belt 123. The first transverse conveyor rail 122 and the first longitudinal conveyor rail are arranged above the first conveyor belt 123. The first longitudinal conveyor rail can be driven by the first transverse conveyor rail 122 and move along it. A first mechanical gripper is mounted on the first longitudinal conveyor rail and can be driven by the first longitudinal conveyor rail and move along it.

[0045] Among them, combined Figure 4 In this embodiment, the node storage compartment 12 is also equipped with a cleaning brush 124. When the functional node 3 is recovered, the cleaning brush 124 can remove seabed deposits on the shell of the functional node 3, ensuring the reliability and reusability of the functional node 3 after recovery.

[0046] After the underwater robot 1 moves to the target position, the hatch of the node storage compartment 12 faces the target position. The first mechanical claw, driven by the first transverse conveyor rail 122 and the first longitudinal conveyor rail, moves to above the functional node 3 on the first conveyor belt 123 and performs a grasping action. After the functional node 3 is grasped, the first mechanical claw is again driven by the first transverse conveyor rail 122 and the first longitudinal conveyor rail to move to the hatch of the node storage compartment 12 and place the grasped functional node 3. Then the underwater robot 1 moves to the placement position of the next functional node 3. At the same time, the first conveyor belt 123 transports the functional node 3 on it to a position where the front end is not obstructed from above. The first mechanical claw is again driven by the first transverse conveyor rail 122 and the first longitudinal conveyor rail to return to the initial grasping position and perform a grasping action, completing the grasping of the functional node 3 on the same first conveyor belt 123. After all functional nodes 3 on a certain layer of the first conveyor belt 123 have been gripped, the first robotic gripper, driven by the first transverse conveyor rail 122 and the first longitudinal conveyor rail, moves to directly above the front end of another layer of the first conveyor belt 123 and performs a gripping action on the functional nodes 3 on that layer of the first conveyor belt 123. When the functional node 3 is retracted, the driving process of the first robotic gripper is reversed, and the first robotic gripper places the retracted functional node 3 back onto the first conveyor belt 123. The first transverse conveyor rail 122 and the first longitudinal conveyor rail adopt a gantry crane-like structure to realize the conveying of the first robotic gripper.

[0047] In this embodiment, the first mechanical claw grabs the functional node 3 from the front end of the first conveyor belt 123 and moves it to the hatch by the conveyor rail, ensuring that the functional node 3 is placed stably and accurately on the seabed, fundamentally avoiding the positional shift or node overturning caused by traditional free-fall deployment.

[0048] See Figure 1 and Figure 6 The recovery chamber 2 in this embodiment includes a second chamber, a second mechanical claw, a second transverse conveyor rail, a second longitudinal conveyor rail, and a second conveyor belt. The hatch of the second chamber is funnel-shaped to facilitate the entry and exit of the underwater robot 1. The arrangement of the second mechanical claw, the second transverse conveyor rail, the second longitudinal conveyor rail, and the second conveyor belt is the same as the arrangement of the first mechanical claw, the first transverse conveyor rail 122, the first longitudinal conveyor rail, and the first conveyor belt 123 in the node storage chamber 12. At the same time, a temporary storage point for functional nodes 3 is provided in front of the second conveyor belt. Specifically, the second transverse conveyor rail, the second longitudinal conveyor rail, and the second conveyor belt are all arranged in the second chamber. The second conveyor belt has multiple layers from top to bottom and forms a step-like structure. That is, the length of the second conveyor belt at the top layer is shorter than the length of the first conveyor belt 123 at the second layer, and the length of the first conveyor belt 123 at the second layer is shorter than the length of the first conveyor belt 123 at the third layer. The functional nodes 3 are stored on each layer of the second conveyor belt. The second transverse conveying guide and the second longitudinal conveying guide are arranged above the second conveyor belt. The second longitudinal conveying guide can be driven by the second transverse conveying guide and move along it. The second mechanical gripper is mounted on the second longitudinal conveying guide and can be driven by it and move along it.

[0049] When the underwater robot 1 returns to the recovery chamber 2 to replenish the functional node 3, the second mechanical claw in the recovery chamber 2 is driven by the second transverse conveyor rail and the second longitudinal conveyor rail to move to the front end of the second conveyor belt and grab the functional node 3. The second transverse conveyor rail and the second longitudinal conveyor rail drive the second mechanical claw to move to the temporary placement point of the functional node 3. The second mechanical claw places the grabbed functional node 3 at the temporary placement point of the functional node 3. The first mechanical claw of the underwater robot 1 grabs the functional node 3 and stores it in the node storage chamber 12, thereby realizing the replenishment of the functional node 3.

[0050] Among them, combined Figure 6 The hatch of the recovery capsule 2 is equipped with an underwater indicator light 21 and an acoustic positioning beacon 22 to guide the underwater robot 1 to accurately dock with the recovery capsule 2. First, acoustic positioning is used for remote guidance. After the underwater robot 1 approaches the recovery capsule 2, close-range visual calibration is performed using the underwater robot 1's camera 111 and the underwater indicator light 21 at the opening of the recovery capsule 2 to ensure that the underwater robot 1 can accurately enter the recovery capsule 2 to perform tasks such as node recharge or data transmission.

[0051] In deep-sea operating environments, global satellite positioning signals cannot reach directly, so the underwater robot 1 mainly relies on an inertial navigation system and a Doppler log for dead reckoning. However, long-term, long-distance operations inevitably lead to accumulated errors, making it difficult to ensure that dozens of functional nodes 3 are deployed strictly in straight lines and at fixed intervals on a scale of several kilometers.

[0052] Therefore, this embodiment also provides a method for deploying and recovering seabed nodes based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply, combined with Figure 7 and Figure 8 The specific deployment process is as follows:

[0053] S1, Deployment reference: The mother ship will sink the recovery capsule 2 with a precise positioning beacon to the seabed and measure its precise coordinates as the absolute reference point for the entire deployment operation. Specifically, the mother ship will use the shipborne precision satellite positioning and acoustic positioning system to precisely deploy the recovery capsule 2 to the seabed operation area. Since the recovery capsule 2 is equipped with a high-precision acoustic positioning beacon, its seabed coordinates are accurately determined and used as the initial positioning reference for the entire deployment operation.

[0054] S2, Planning Acoustic Beacon Nodes: Before the start of offshore operations, the deep-sea node deployment system plans the theoretical positions of all functional nodes 3 in advance, and also installs acoustic positioning beacons on some of the functional nodes 3. In addition to data acquisition, some of the functional nodes 3 can also continuously emit specific acoustic signals after deployment to assist in positioning, serving as the positioning reference for the subsequent deployment of functional nodes 3. Among them, functional nodes 3 with acoustic positioning beacons are called acoustic beacon functional nodes 3, and functional nodes 3 without acoustic positioning beacons are called ordinary functional nodes 3.

[0055] S3, Establishing an acoustic beacon positioning network: After the deployment operation is started, the underwater robot 1, based on the position reference of the recovery capsule 2 and integrating data from the inertial navigation system and the Doppler log, deploys the first acoustic beacon functional node 3 to the planned location; subsequently, through two-way acoustic ranging between the underwater robot 1 and the recovery capsule 2, the absolute seabed coordinates of the first acoustic beacon functional node 3 are determined, thereby establishing an acoustic beacon positioning network that includes the recovery capsule 2 and the first acoustic positioning beacon.

[0056] S4, Expanding the Acoustic Beacon Positioning Network: Underwater robot 1 deploys acoustic beacon functional nodes 3 and ordinary functional nodes 3 along the planned deployment route of functional nodes 3, following the deployment pattern (deploying several ordinary functional nodes 3, deploying one acoustic beacon functional node 3, then deploying the same number of ordinary functional nodes 3, then deploying another acoustic beacon functional node 3, and so on), while simultaneously expanding the acoustic beacon positioning network to improve the deployment accuracy of functional nodes 3. Specifically, underwater robot 1 uses the currently established acoustic beacon positioning network to calculate its own position in real time and corrects its trajectory accordingly. That is, underwater robot 1 navigates strictly along the theoretical deployment route based on data from the inertial navigation system and Doppler log, as well as the absolute coordinates of the previously deployed acoustic beacon functional node 3. After reaching the theoretical position of each ordinary functional node 3... The underwater robot 1 uses a mechanical gripper to smoothly place functional node 3 on the seabed. At the moment functional node 3 touches the bottom, the position of the underwater robot 1, calculated by the acoustic beacon positioning network, is recorded simultaneously. Combined with the attitude information of the underwater robot 1, the actual coordinates of the bottom-touching point of functional node 3 are calculated as its final deployment coordinates. After deploying a certain number of ordinary functional nodes 3, the underwater robot 1 deploys another acoustic beacon functional node 3 along the theoretical deployment route. Subsequently, the underwater robot 1 uses its own acoustic equipment to perform two-way acoustic ranging with the acoustic beacon functional node 3 at the known coordinate position. The absolute coordinates of the new acoustic beacon functional node 3 are calculated and calibrated by the adjustment algorithm, and it is incorporated into the acoustic beacon positioning network, thereby expanding the acoustic beacon positioning network. This process is repeated until all functional nodes 3 are accurately deployed.

[0057] This embodiment first constructs a basic acoustic beacon positioning network using the recovery capsule 2 and the first acoustic beacon functional node 3. Subsequently, after deploying a certain number of ordinary functional nodes 3, an acoustic beacon functional node 3 is deployed immediately to ensure that the underwater robot 1 can continuously receive acoustic beacon signals for bidirectional ranging. As the number of deployed acoustic beacon functional nodes 3 increases, the acoustic beacon positioning network continuously expands. Even as the underwater robot 1's travel distance increases, its positioning accuracy and stability can gradually improve, and the deployment trajectory can be continuously corrected, enabling the robot to navigate strictly according to the preset path, thereby ensuring the deployment accuracy of each functional node 3. This deployment method constitutes a dynamic closed-loop control mechanism, continuously updating acoustic beacon signals to optimize subsequent operational capabilities, forming a self-reinforcing intelligent cycle. In terms of navigation, the underwater robot 1's navigation system continuously integrates ranging information, inertial data, and ground velocity information from multiple seabed acoustic beacon functional nodes 3. Even in the early stages of functional node 3 deployment, when the acoustic beacon positioning network has fewer nodes, control accuracy can still be maintained through short-term high-precision inertial navigation and acoustic beacon calibration. As the rear acoustic beacon positioning network is gradually improved, the absolute accuracy of positioning and deployment is continuously consolidated. The coordinates of all functional nodes 3 are unified under the same dynamically optimized coordinate system derived from the absolute reference of the recovery capsule 2, thereby ensuring the straightness, coplanarity, and spacing accuracy of the functional node 3 matrix throughout the entire deployment range.

[0058] Furthermore, this acoustic beacon positioning network will play a role again during the mission recovery phase. When the underwater robot 1 returns to the work area to recover the functional node 3, the acoustic beacon positioning network can be reactivated. The acoustic beacon functional node 3 provides a position reference that is completely consistent with that in the deployment phase, enabling the underwater robot 1 to directly and accurately navigate to the vicinity of the actual location of each functional node 3 to be recovered, which greatly improves the success rate and efficiency of finding and recovering functional nodes 3 in complex seabed terrain.

[0059] As can be seen, the deep-sea node deployment method of this embodiment innovates the traditional serial operation mode by synchronizing and coupling the construction of the progressive acoustic beacon positioning network with the deployment of functional nodes 3. It eliminates the repetitive and invalid voyages caused by the underwater robot 1 building a reference network separately, and completes the entire process from reference transfer and acoustic beacon positioning network expansion to large-scale functional node 3 matrix deployment in a single voyage.

[0060] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions created by the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions created by the present invention without departing from the essence and scope of the technical solutions created by the present invention.

Claims

1. A seabed node deployment and recovery system based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply, characterized in that, The system includes an underwater robot and a recovery capsule. The recovery capsule is positioned at a designated location on the seabed to store functional nodes and is equipped with a charging device to recharge the underwater robot. The underwater robot consists of a robot body, a first mechanical claw, and a node storage capsule. The node storage capsule is located below the robot body and is used to temporarily store functional nodes to be deployed. The node storage capsule has a hatch, and the first mechanical claw is positioned inside the node storage capsule to grasp the functional nodes stored in the storage capsule and deploy them to the designated location through the hatch. After completing a single deployment of functional nodes, the underwater robot returns to the recovery capsule to replenish functional nodes for the next deployment.

2. The seabed node deployment and recovery system based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The robot body is equipped with a camera and a light at the front end and a rudder at the rear end. The camera is used to collect underwater images, the light is used for auxiliary lighting on the seabed, and the rudder is used to adjust the attitude and direction of movement of the underwater robot. The robot body is equipped with a buoyancy adjustment device and multiple thrusters. The thrusters are used to drive the robot body to submerge. The buoyancy adjustment device is used to adjust the buoyancy of the underwater robot so that its buoyancy remains constant after the deployment or recovery function node.

3. The seabed node deployment and recovery system based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The robot is also equipped with a side-scan sonar, obstacle avoidance sonar, altimeter, strapdown inertial navigation system, and Doppler velocimeter. The side-scan sonar and obstacle avoidance sonar are used to acquire acoustic images of the seabed topography; the altimeter is used to measure the vertical distance between the underwater robot and the seabed in real time; the strapdown inertial navigation system is used to measure the three-dimensional attitude, velocity, and position information of the underwater robot; and the Doppler velocimeter is used to measure the three-dimensional motion velocity of the underwater robot.

4. The seabed node deployment and recovery system based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The node storage compartment includes a first compartment, a first transverse conveyor rail, a first longitudinal conveyor rail, and a first conveyor belt. The first transverse conveyor rail, the first longitudinal conveyor rail, and the first conveyor belt are all arranged inside the first compartment. The first conveyor belt has multiple layers from top to bottom, forming a stepped structure. Functional nodes are stored on each layer of the first conveyor belt. The first transverse conveyor rail and the first longitudinal conveyor rail are arranged above the first conveyor belt. The first longitudinal conveyor rail can be driven by the first transverse conveyor rail and move along the first transverse conveyor rail. A first mechanical claw is installed on the first longitudinal conveyor rail and can be driven by the first longitudinal conveyor rail and move along the first longitudinal conveyor rail.

5. A seabed node deployment and recovery system based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The node storage compartment is also equipped with a cleaning brush for cleaning and recycling functional nodes.

6. A seabed node deployment and recovery system based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The recovery compartment includes a second compartment, a second mechanical gripper, a second transverse conveyor rail, a second longitudinal conveyor rail, and a second conveyor belt. The second transverse conveyor rail, the second longitudinal conveyor rail, and the second conveyor belt are all arranged inside the second compartment. The second conveyor belt has multiple layers from top to bottom, forming a stepped structure. Functional nodes are stored on each layer of the second conveyor belt. A temporary storage point for functional nodes is provided in front of the second conveyor belt. The second transverse conveyor rail and the second longitudinal conveyor rail are arranged above the second conveyor belt. The second longitudinal conveyor rail can be driven by the second transverse conveyor rail and move along the second transverse conveyor rail. The second mechanical gripper is installed on the second longitudinal conveyor rail and can be driven by the second longitudinal conveyor rail and move along the second longitudinal conveyor rail.

7. A seabed node deployment and recovery system based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The recovery capsule is equipped with underwater indicator lights at its hatch.

8. A seabed node deployment and recovery system based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The recovery capsule is equipped with an acoustic positioning beacon to guide the underwater robot to make a precise docking with the recovery capsule.

9. A method for deploying and recovering seabed nodes based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply, characterized in that, Based on the seabed node deployment and recovery system based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply as described in claim 8, the specific deployment process is as follows: S1, Deployment reference: The mother ship will sink the recovery capsule to the seabed and measure its coordinates as the initial positioning reference for the entire deployment operation. S2, Planning acoustic beacon functional nodes: Plan the theoretical positions of all functional nodes in advance, and install acoustic positioning beacons on some of the functional nodes as positioning references for the subsequent deployment of functional nodes. Functional nodes with acoustic positioning beacons are called acoustic beacon functional nodes, and functional nodes without acoustic positioning beacons are called ordinary functional nodes. S3, Establishing an acoustic beacon positioning network: Based on the position reference of the recovery capsule, and integrating data from the strapdown inertial navigation system and Doppler log, the underwater robot deploys the first acoustic beacon functional node to the planned location; subsequently, through two-way acoustic ranging between the underwater robot and the recovery capsule, the absolute seabed coordinates of the first acoustic beacon functional node are determined, thereby establishing an acoustic beacon positioning network that includes the recovery capsule and the first acoustic positioning beacon; S4, Expanding the acoustic beacon positioning network: The underwater robot deploys acoustic beacon functional nodes and ordinary functional nodes according to the planned functional node deployment route and deployment rules, while expanding the acoustic beacon positioning network to improve the deployment accuracy of functional nodes.

10. A method for deploying and recovering seabed nodes based on AUV deep-sea in-situ resupply according to claim 9, characterized in that, Step S4 is achieved through the following steps: The underwater robot uses the established acoustic beacon positioning network to calculate its own position in real time and corrects its trajectory accordingly, navigating along the theoretical deployment route; after reaching the theoretical position of each ordinary functional node, the robot uses its mechanical claw to place the functional node on the seabed. At the moment the functional node touches the bottom, the underwater robot's position calculated by the acoustic beacon positioning network is recorded simultaneously, and combined with the underwater robot's attitude information, the actual coordinates of the functional node's bottom contact point are calculated as its final deployment coordinates; after deploying a certain number of ordinary functional nodes, the underwater robot deploys the next acoustic beacon functional node along the theoretical deployment route. Subsequently, the underwater robot uses its own acoustic equipment to perform two-way acoustic ranging with the acoustic beacon functional node at the known coordinate position, calculates and calibrates the absolute coordinates of the new acoustic beacon functional node using an adjustment algorithm, and incorporates it into the acoustic beacon positioning network, thereby expanding the acoustic beacon positioning network; this step is repeated until all functional nodes are deployed.

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