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Testing and Evaluation of Underwater Vehicle Using Hardware-In-The-Loop Simulation with HoloOcean

Braden Meyers, Joshua G. Mangelson

Abstract

Testing marine robotics systems in controlled environments before field tests is challenging, especially when acoustic-based sensors and control surfaces only function properly underwater. Deploying robots in indoor tanks and pools often faces space constraints that complicate testing of control, navigation, and perception algorithms at scale. Recent developments of high-fidelity underwater simulation tools have the potential to address these problems. We demonstrate the utility of the recently released HoloOcean 2.0 simulator with improved dynamics for torpedo AUV vehicles and a new ROS 2 interface. We have successfully demonstrated a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) and Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) setup for testing and evaluating a CougUV torpedo autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that was built and developed in our lab. With this HIL and SIL setup, simulations are run in HoloOcean using a ROS 2 bridge such that simulated sensor data is sent to the CougUV (mimicking sensor drivers) and control surface commands are sent back to the simulation, where vehicle dynamics and sensor data are calculated. We compare our simulated results to real-world field trial results.

Testing and Evaluation of Underwater Vehicle Using Hardware-In-The-Loop Simulation with HoloOcean

Abstract

Testing marine robotics systems in controlled environments before field tests is challenging, especially when acoustic-based sensors and control surfaces only function properly underwater. Deploying robots in indoor tanks and pools often faces space constraints that complicate testing of control, navigation, and perception algorithms at scale. Recent developments of high-fidelity underwater simulation tools have the potential to address these problems. We demonstrate the utility of the recently released HoloOcean 2.0 simulator with improved dynamics for torpedo AUV vehicles and a new ROS 2 interface. We have successfully demonstrated a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) and Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) setup for testing and evaluating a CougUV torpedo autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that was built and developed in our lab. With this HIL and SIL setup, simulations are run in HoloOcean using a ROS 2 bridge such that simulated sensor data is sent to the CougUV (mimicking sensor drivers) and control surface commands are sent back to the simulation, where vehicle dynamics and sensor data are calculated. We compare our simulated results to real-world field trial results.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 23 sections, 10 equations, 10 figures, 2 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. HoloOcean
  4. Marine Dynamics Simulation
  5. HIL and SIL Testing and ROS Integration
  6. High-Fidelity Dynamics in HoloOcean
  7. Hydrodynamics Implementation Architecture
  8. Torpedo Vehicle Dynamics
  9. Torpedo Fin Dynamics
  10. Relative Velocity Calculation
  11. Fin Hydrodynamic Force
  12. Fin Force Vector in Body Frame
  13. Fin Center of Pressure Location
  14. Moment Calculation
  15. Individual Fin Total Force and Moment
  16. ...and 8 more sections

Figures (10)

  • Figure 1: A CougUV robot is tested in the lab prior to field trials with a HIL setup with the HoloOcean simulator. Where simulated sensor data is sent to the CougUV and processed onboard. Control surfaces are actuated and commands are sent back to the simulator, where the vehicle's motion is calculated.
  • Figure 2: Software HIL and SIL flow diagram demonstrating the steps of vehicle dynamics calculations and implementation in the simulator. Sensor data output and control surface inputs are shown using the HoloOcean ROS 2 bridge in HoloOcean 2.0. Simulated sensor data can replace and mimic sensor driver output and control surface commands are transmitted to the vehicle actuators and to the simulation.
  • Figure 3: Side view of a Torpedo AUV fin diagram.
  • Figure 4: Back view of a Torpedo AUV fin diagram.
  • Figure 5: Comparison of depth controller response for the torpedo AUV in simulation and real world tests at a local reservoir.
  • ...and 5 more figures