IES an open system for underwater inspection

Abstract

This paper describes the specification and design of a prototype of a low cost open system for the inspection of underwater structures based on a remotely operated underwater vehicle under the project IES, a 3 year long effort funded by the Portuguese R&D program Praxis XXI. Unlike commercial approaches, a modular open system characterised by the incorporation of an on-board computer allowing for advanced control capabilities is envisaged. The control console is based on a standard PC and the tether is used only for power delivery and to establish a simple communication channel. In this project, we use advanced hybrid control techniques for sophisticated semi-autonomous operation management and control. The control architecture reuses part of the one designed for the underwater vehicle Isurus operated by the Laboratory of Underwater Systems and Technologies of Porto University. The implementation is designed in order to allow for multiple sensor configurations specified as add-ins. This leads to a dynamic, scalable and flexible system that can be easily configured according to the user specifications.