Cloud-Assisted Underwater Vehicle Control Using Ocean Current Models
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Solution Overview
Problem
Navigating submerged vehicles in aqueous media, such as oceans, is challenging due to the need for excessive energy resources and the limitations of advanced sensors like INS, which increase weight, power consumption, and computational complexity.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-assisted system uses ocean physics modeling to downscale current forecasts and simulate glider movements, optimizing navigation commands to reduce energy consumption and improve accuracy without relying on heavy INS systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If advanced sensors like INS are used for navigation, then navigation accuracy is improved, but weight, power consumption, and computational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a digital twin (virtual copy) of the underwater vehicle that replicates its dynamics and environment. This virtual model allows the system to simulate and predict vehicle behavior without requiring heavy physical sensors like INS, thereby maintaining navigation accuracy while reducing weight and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical/inertial navigation systems (INS) with a computational approach using digital twins and ocean physics models. Instead of relying on physical gyroscopes and accelerometers, the system uses virtual simulations and environmental data to determine navigation commands, reducing hardware complexity.
2Measurement precision
If advanced sensors like INS are used for navigation, then navigation accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The digital twin creates a virtual replica of the vehicle's navigation system, allowing computations to be performed in simulation rather than requiring continuous operation of power-intensive physical sensors. This reduces real-time power consumption while maintaining navigation accuracy through predictive modeling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary simulations and predictions using the digital twin before actual navigation actions are taken. By pre-computing navigation paths and predicting vehicle behavior in advance, the system reduces the need for continuous high-power sensor operation during actual navigation.
3Ease of operation
If traditional navigation methods are used, then vehicle can navigate, but energy consumption is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the vehicle's passive drift in ocean currents from a harmful factor into a beneficial resource. By using ocean physics models and digital twins to predict current patterns, the system plans navigation paths that utilize favorable currents, reducing the energy required for active propulsion while maintaining navigation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts navigation commands based on real-time ocean conditions and predicted current patterns. The digital twin continuously simulates vehicle behavior under varying environmental conditions, allowing the system to adapt navigation strategies to minimize energy consumption while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Cloud assisted underwater vehicle control is provided. A system can include one or more processors that can receive, via a communications network from an underwater vehicle in an aqueous medium and remote from the one or more processors, an indication of a location of the underwater vehicle. The one or more processors can predict, using the location of the underwater vehicle and a model constructed with at least one of historical ocean current data for the location or data associated with maritime topography of the location, movement of the underwater vehicle through the aqueous medium. The one or more processors can generate, according to the predicted movement, at least one control decision. The one or more processors can transmit, via the communications network to the underwater vehicle, the at least one control decision to cause the underwater vehicle to submerge in the aqueous medium.