Terrain Aided Localisation and Mapping for Marine Environments

Abstract

This paper presents experimental results of the application of terrain aided localisation and mapping algorithms to vehicle deployments in marine environments. The application of a terrain aided navigation filter to the tracking of a ship operating on Sydney Harbour is described. This approach allows highly unstructured seafloor bathymetric information to be incorporated into the navigation solution. In addition, experimental validation of the Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping algorithm using data collected by an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle operating on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is reported. By fusing information from the vehicle’s on-board sonar and vision systems, it is possible to use the highly textured reef to provide estimates of the vehicle motion as well as to generate models of the gross structure of the underlying reefs. Terrain-aided navigation promises to revolutionise the ability of marine systems to track underwater bodies in many applications. This work represents a crucial step in the development of underwater technologies capable of long-term, reliable deployment.