UNDERWATER RESCUE BOT USING

COLLISION DETECTION AND STEREO

VISION WITH SONAR

by

Vinzer F. Apolonio
Mikko Ivan D. Avilledo
Aaron Christian F. Corpuz
Jose Leandro C. Feliciano

A Research Proposal Submitted to the School of EE-ECE-CpE

in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree

Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering

Mapa Institute of Technology

September 2015

Chapter 1
Introduction
Detection and tracking of missing bodies is an important problem in the robotic vision
field. Several search and rescue operations for missing casualties caused by water accidents
failed due to lack of equipment and facilities to go deeper depths. Some cases were due to poor
detections in which several victims can no longer be located. With the aid of robotics field, how
robots could be developed and used on rescue operations in which they can go beyond human
limitations as a rescuer.
Due to fast modernization of technology even robots are designed to aid humans in doing
several activities. They were also used during search operations as a tracking and rescuing
equipment in saving victims.

[1]

Robots were first used during September 11, 2001 in rescue

operations during the 911 incident at the World Trade Center, U.S.A. The use of robots gain its
popularity because of its benefits during the operations such as minimizing operational risks, and
has the ability to access unreachable areas. The improvement of these robots includes
modifications and customizations such as from wheels to no wheels which enables them to have
a better mobility. [2] The first underwater robot during April, 2009 was used as an oil detector in
order to help for clearing during the oil-spill incident on the Gulf of Mexico. With this discovery
underwater-operating robots became possible, thus, robots might be possibly designed in helping
human do conduct search and rescue operation underwater unreachable by man.
Remote Controlled Underwater Rescue Bot is a robot designed to go underneath the
water. With water resistant walls, it can go greater depths. Commonly, cables were used in
controlling robots but this type of robot is remote controlled for it to be flexible enough to move

on water. Features also include an embedded sonar and camera which has greater area of vision.
This will enable the operators to tracks victims around a certain area.
This research aims to develop a robot that will detect missing casualties in a water
accident below 200ft using stereo model vision sensor in help of search and rescue operations
underwater. This research aims to create a robot design that would move freely and be controlled
underwater, to create a robot that can sustain the pressure within 200ft wherein humans cannot
go, to create a program that would detect and classify a persons body from debris of ships and
airplanes, to create a sonar system with camera that will serve as an eye, to create a program for
the mobility of the robot, and to test if the robot achieved the desired requirements for it to work
under pressure.
This robot can move freely underwater areas that made it easy to cover those places that
are dangerous and difficult for man to reach. The robot can help NDRRMC for rescuing and
retrieval operations. The robot itself can save a persons life. The robot can also be used for
salvaging metals that were left underwater.
The scope of this research is covering bodies of water where accidents happened such as
airplane crash, shipwreck and the like. This robot is capable of detecting body and skeleton of
human, debris of ships, airplanes, and boats. This robot uses stereo vision in receiving images
and Arduino as microcontroller. The robot has a maximum operating time of 72 hrs. It is
equipped with camera with a resolution of 20 megapixels. The robot has a power to carry a
maximum weight of 150kg. This robot can dive a maximum depth of 350 ft with a maximum
speed of 70 km/hr or about 38 knots. This robot is automatically moving beyond 200 ft and
remote controlled with 200 ft above. This robot uses infrared when being controlled by remote.

Chapter 2
Review of Literature
Designing an underwater robot which can retrieve a body 200 ft below the land surface is
a tough thing to do. We need to explore and consult articles about underwater robots in order to
design the robot efficiently and in order for the robot to function well. This review of literature
focuses on the study of the underwater robot. The purpose of this chapter is to explore and gain
additional knowledge from the literature that is related about our topic.
Collision Detection
According to Sung Hee Choi1, Jangmyung Lee [3], an effective motion for the navigation
of the underwater robot is created without collisions is calculated using the fuzzy theory. To
perform satisfactorily real-time environment information from an unknown undersea
environment to unmanned underwater robot the task of the expert-level mission planning areas,
planning, controlling, and decision-making with high-level functions. It is confirmed that the
obstacle avoidance can be successfully achieved by analyzing and changing the weights in the
fuzzy algorithm according to the motion of the robot. By fuzzy algorithm, considering location
and distance of the obstacles, underwater robot gets movable position and weight. Infrared
sensors were used to detect the obstacles along its path. Obstacle avoidance is essential to
obstacle recognition.

Underwater robot hand and finger tracking control

The grasping and manipulating capability is an important indication for intelligent robot.
According to, Hua Wang, Xiaodiao Huang, Xindan Qi

[4]

, current generation underwater robots

generally employ the claw-like end effectors, which is simple and easy to control, but not able to
perform complex operations. Our robot needs to have a genuine and long lasting robot hand in
order to retrieve bodies for rescue operations. Also according to them a fuzzy CMAC was
adopted to establish the tracking control system for improving the fine performance capacity. A
three-fingered hand driven by actuators that are located in a place remote from the robot hand
frame and connected by tendon cables. The elasticity of the tendon cable causes inaccurate joint
angle control and the long wiring of tendon cables may obstruct the robot motion when the hand
is attached to the tip of the robot arm. Three fingers are used, which are the minimum number to
achieve a stable grasp. Movement of the first joint of the fingers allows adduction and abduction,
and that of the second joint to the three joint allows anteflexion and retroflexion. In order to
make an effect to resemble a finger motion of the human, the first joint and the second joint cross
almost orthogonally at one point by means of an asymmetrical differential mechanism, which
enables the second joint axis to be placed near the surface of the palm. The sensor system of a
robot hand provides the feedback information from the hardware to the control software. This is
necessary to perform a closed loop control of the fingers or a grasped object. In order to safely
grasp the hand is equipped with a new developed underwater fingertip force sensor for compliant
pinching.

Remote control system of underwater robot

According to Vu Minh Hung, Uhn Joo Na

[5]

, using two acoustic transducers is more

effective than radio and optical waves. The reason is that radio and optical waves are not used
because they are strongly attenuated in a complex environment as water. it is necessary to
develop a remote control system for underwater robots. Using cables are not advised because
they are limited by distances, environment conditions, and not flexible. The communication is
designed with a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter receives commands from a control
station and then generates acoustic wave signals, in which usable frequencies are 8-16 KHz. The
receiver receives signals from the acoustic transducer and after processing, they are converted in
to pulse signals. Decoded pulse signals are used to control the underwater robot. Fuzzy algorithm
is proposed to control depths, heading and directions of the underwater robot. The information
can be carried either by modulating the amplitude or phase. With small attenuation, acoustic
waves can be used for long distance and are the best choice for underwater applications. With
this communication, error control signals are limited and the control system permits the
underwater robot can be operated effectively.

Chapter 3

Methodology
Table 3.1 Conceptual Framework

INPUT
Control the robot to
swim underwater

Control the robot to

move objects

PROCESS

Control the sonar

Transmits movement

OUTPUT

The motor that holds

to the receiver

the propeller will

module

start to spin

Transmits movement

The claws will be

to the receiver

able to move and

module

drag objects

The sonar module on

The sonar modem

Controlling the

the robot will be

will display the

robot with the

turned on

situation underwater

remote

The infrared module

will receive the
transmitted command

The robot will move

where it is being sent

System Overview
This robot is a remote controlled underwater robot that can detect casualties and
eventually rescue victims. It is equipped with camera for vision underwater, hands for operation
for rescue, sonar for detection of casualties and water resistant body. The robot is batteryoperated and controlled by computer system and is rechargeable.

Figure 3.1
A. Hand System
The robot is equipped with three-fingered hands that are used in rescuing people in
casualties underwater. It contains fingers that are used to hold on something and can remove
obstructions for it to rescue victims. The hands have a power to carry a maximum weight of
150kg.

Figure 3.2

B. Sonar
Attached to the body of the robot is a sonar module that can detect casualties in a radius
of 100 ft. With a microcontroller embedded, the sonar module can be controlled and sends the
sonar data to the rescue ship thru a radio modem [6].

Figure 3.3
C. Camera
To see a clear image of casualties underwater, this robot contains a camera located in the
head part of it. It is a waterproof camera and with a microcontroller on it, the image will be
directed to the computer on the rescue ship. This gives a clear image on the casualties and serves
as the eye in order to have a smooth rescue operation.

Figure 3.4
D. Control System
The control system is found inside the rescue ship. Remote controls connected to
computers are used to control the systems of the robot. Data are also displayed to the
computers.Infrared is used for the robot to be controlled via remote because it has the longest
range for wireless connections.
E. Body Specs
This robot is an underwater robot; the body of it is made up of water resistant metal that
is compacted to protect the system inside it. It is battery-operated and controlled by computer
inside the rescue ship. It contains propeller for it to dive deeper and faster.

Table 3.2 Results Per Trial

Weight of the Victim

Clarity Image
Recognition

Collision Avoidance

References
[1]

Murphy, Robin, World Trade Center 911 Disaster, Retrieved from: http://crasar.org/worldtrade-center-911-disaster

[2]

Ocean Portal, Underwater Robots Explore the Ocean, Smithsonian National Museum of
Natural History, Retrieved from: http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-news/underwater-robots-exploreocean

[3]

Sung Hee Choi1, Jangmyung Lee, Robust Navigation Algorithm of the fishlike Robot in the
Unknown Underwater Environment, IEEE 2012

[4]

Hua Wang, Xiaodiao Huang, Xindan Qi, Development of Underwater Robot Hand and Its
Finger Tracking Control, IEEE 2007

[5]

Vu Minh Hung, Uhn Joo Na, Remote Control System of a 6 DOF Underwater Robot, IEEE

2008
[6]

D. Falconer, R. Ficklin, K. Konolige, Robot-Mounted Through-Wall Sonar for Detecting,

Locating, and Identifying Building Occupants, IEEE 2000.