title: Close-Range Tracking of Underwater Vehicles Using Light Beacons.
abstract: This paper presents a new tracking system for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) navigating in a close formation, based on computer vision and the use of active light markers. While acoustic localization can be very effective from medium to long distances, it is not so advantageous in short distances when the safety of the vehicles requires higher accuracy and update rates. The proposed system allows the estimation of the pose of a target vehicle at short ranges, with high accuracy and execution speed. To extend the field of view, an omnidirectional camera is used. This camera provides a full coverage of the lower hemisphere and enables the concurrent tracking of multiple vehicles in different positions. The system was evaluated in real sea conditions by tracking vehicles in mapping missions, where it demonstrated robust operation during extended periods of time.
authors.affiliation: Computer Vision and Robotics Group, Centre d'Investigació en Robòtica Submarina, Parc Científic i Tecnològic, Universitat de Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain. j.bosch@udg.edu.
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bosch
authors.affiliation: Computer Vision and Robotics Group, Centre d'Investigació en Robòtica Submarina, Parc Científic i Tecnològic, Universitat de Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain. ngracias@eia.udg.edu.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gracias
authors.affiliation: Computer Vision and Robotics Group, Centre d'Investigació en Robòtica Submarina, Parc Científic i Tecnològic, Universitat de Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain. pere@eia.udg.edu.
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ridao
authors.affiliation: Computer Vision and Robotics Group, Centre d'Investigació en Robòtica Submarina, Parc Científic i Tecnològic, Universitat de Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain. klemen.istenic@udg.edu.
authors.forename: Klemen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Istenič
authors.affiliation: Computer Vision and Robotics Group, Centre d'Investigació en Robòtica Submarina, Parc Científic i Tecnològic, Universitat de Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain. dribas@udg.edu.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ribas
keywords: AUV; active markers; light beacons; pose estimation; relative navigation; tracking system