Accurate positioning of underwater robots in confined environments is crucial for inspection and mapping tasks and is also a prerequisite for autonomous operations. Presently, there are no positioning systems available that are suited for real-world use in confined underwater environments, unconstrained by environmental lighting and water turbidity levels and have sufficient accuracy for reliable and repeatable navigation. This shortage presents a significant barrier to enhancing the capabilities of ROVs in such scenarios. This paper introduces an innovative positioning system for ROVs operating in confined, cluttered underwater settings, achieved through the collaboration of an omnidirectional surface vehicle and an ROV. A formulation is proposed and evaluated in the simulation against ground truth. The experimental results from the simulation form a proof of principle of the proposed system and also demonstrate its deployability. Unlike many previous approaches, the system does not rely on fixed infrastructure or tracking of features in the environment and can cover large enclosed areas without additional equipment.

翻译：在受限环境中实现水下机器人的精确定位对于检测与测绘任务至关重要，也是自主作业的先决条件。目前，尚无适用于受限水下环境实际应用的定位系统——这类系统既不受环境光照和水体浑浊度限制，又能满足可靠重复导航所需的精度。这一短板严重制约了遥控无人潜航器（ROV）在该类场景中的能力提升。本文提出一种创新的定位系统，通过全向水面航行器与ROV协同配合，实现ROV在受限且杂乱的复杂水下环境中的定位。研究提出相应定位方案并在仿真环境中与真实值进行对比评估。仿真实验结果不仅证明了该方案的有效性原理，还展示了其实际部署可行性。与以往多数方法不同，本系统无需依赖固定基础设施或环境特征追踪，可在无需额外设备的情况下覆盖大型封闭水域。