Underwater Robot 3D Remote Control for Sediment Clearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Underwater archaeology missions face challenges due to limited dive duration and harsh underwater conditions, requiring improved tools for exploration and sediment management.
Innovation Solution
An underwater exploration robot equipped with 3D vision goggles for remote control, a nozzle for pressurized water jet clearing, and a suction tube for sediment removal, allowing for efficient navigation and sediment clearance without human divers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If human divers are used for underwater archaeological exploration, then direct observation and manual operation are possible, but dive duration is limited and working conditions are harsh
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual 3D copy of the underwater environment through stereoscopic imaging and visualization systems. The pilot views this virtual replica through 3D glasses, enabling direct observation without physical presence underwater. This copying approach allows unlimited operation duration while maintaining visual awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary virtual reality system between the pilot and the actual underwater environment. The stereoscopic camera system captures images, processes them into a 3D virtual environment, and presents it to the pilot through 3D glasses. This intermediary allows the pilot to operate the robot remotely without direct exposure to harsh underwater conditions.
2Device complexity
If remote control is implemented without 3D visualization, then equipment complexity is reduced, but navigation and operation precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from 2D flat images to a 3D virtual environment for remote visualization. By using stereoscopic imaging that creates depth perception, the system provides spatial awareness and navigation precision comparable to direct observation, while the robot itself remains relatively simple in structure.
3Device complexity
If traditional 2D imaging is used for remote control, then device complexity is lower, but spatial perception and navigation accuracy are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs stereoscopic imaging to capture and transmit three-dimensional spatial information. The dual-camera setup records images from slightly different angles, creating a virtual 3D environment that preserves depth and spatial relationships. This eliminates the spatial information loss inherent in 2D imaging while keeping the added complexity manageable.
4Adaptability or versatility
If manual sediment clearing by divers is performed, then flexibility in handling is maintained, but productivity and diver safety are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an automated sediment clearing system where the robot performs clearing operations autonomously based on pilot direction. The water jet nozzle and suction system work together to automatically remove sediments without requiring diver intervention, thereby increasing productivity while maintaining adaptability through remote control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a water jet nozzle to propel pressurized water for clearing sediments and a suction system to remove them. This hydraulic approach enables efficient automated clearing operations, significantly improving productivity compared to manual diver work while the remote control system maintains the flexibility to adapt to different archaeological contexts.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables effective remote operation of the robot in three-dimensional underwater environments, facilitating the clearance of sediments and objects while reducing the need for human divers, thus enhancing the efficiency and safety of underwater archaeological excavations.
Implementation Method 1
a nozzle for propelling a jet of pressurized water intended to clear deposits
Implementation Method 2
a suction tube intended to remove at least some of the deposits released by the jet of pressurized water
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to equipment comprising an underwater robot (1) and a device (2) for the remote control of the robot, which can communicate with each other, wherein: the robot comprises means for underwater movement and an image-capturing device; and the control device comprises 3D glasses designed so that a user wearing the glasses views the underwater environment of the robot in three dimensions on the basis of the images captured by the robot, and means for remotely guiding the movement of the robot on the basis of the three-dimensional underwater environment viewed.