Underwater Robot Path Planning for Marine Ecosystem Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current underwater inspection systems do not consider the environmental impact of their operations, leading to potential damage to marine ecosystems during inspections of oil and gas pipes.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses historical navigation data, satellite imagery, research data, weather data, and AI/machine learning to generate an optimized navigational path for underwater robots, minimizing damage to coral reefs, aquatic life, and marine ecosystems by determining the impact area and avoiding sensitive areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional underwater inspection systems are used to inspect oil and gas pipes, then inspection functionality is achieved, but environmental damage to marine ecosystems occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating multiple potential navigational paths and their associated environmental impacts before the underwater robot begins its inspection mission. The impact areas of coral reefs and sensitive marine areas are determined in advance, and the optimal path is selected beforehand to minimize environmental damage while ensuring inspection completion
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the navigational path selection by considering real-time environmental factors and robot movement characteristics. The impact area is dynamically calculated based on robot size, speed, and trajectory, allowing the system to adapt the path to minimize environmental harm while maintaining inspection productivity
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple potential navigational paths are evaluated to minimize environmental impact, then environmental protection is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the complex path evaluation task into distinct components: (1) generating multiple potential paths, (2) determining impact areas for each path, (3) evaluating environmental sensitivity, and (4) selecting the optimal path. This segmentation allows each component to be processed independently, reducing overall system complexity while achieving comprehensive environmental protection
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary computational layer that acts as a mediator between the robot's navigation requirements and environmental protection goals. This intermediary layer processes path options and environmental data to generate optimized routes, shielding the complexity of environmental evaluation from the actual inspection operations
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method, computer program product, and/or computing system for providing a navigational path to an underwater robot for performing an underwater inspection is provided that includes determining one or more potential navigational paths to be undertaken by an underwater robot when traveling from a starting point to a finish point; determining an impact area of the underwater robot for each potential navigational path based upon a size and movement of the underwater robot along each respective potential navigational path; using a marine habitat map to avoid sensitive areas in an underwater ecosystem while the underwater robot travels along each of the one or more potential navigational paths; determining a navigational path from the one or more potential navigational paths that minimizes environmental impact to the underwater ecosystem as the underwater robot navigates from the starting point to the finish point; and provides the navigational path to the underwater robot.