Autonomous docking and energy sharing between two types of robotic agents

Abstract

In order to achieve long-term autonomy after deployment, a method of energy sharing within a heterogeneous swarm of marine robots was devised and implemented. This paper describes hardware and software solutions as well as guidance and control algorithms developed with the goal of allowing powerful energy-rich overactuated surface platforms to approach, dock, and wirelessly recharge less mobile sensor-rich agents upon request using visual servoing. The basic image processing algorithm uses data acquired by the Microsoft Kinect sensor alternating between RGB and infra-red camera modes, depending on lighting conditions. The full search and docking procedure developed for long-term operation is described. The results of a series of experiments done both in an indoor testbed and in realistic outdoor conditions are discussed and some goals for future work are given.