仅用简单传感器实现水下管道自主居中与巡检，成本低且稳定。
Low-Cost Underwater In-Pipe Centering and Inspection Using a Minimal-Sensing Robot
- 利用单波束与360度声呐结合IMU和压力传感器，实现无外部依赖的定位
- 在46厘米直径管道中成功完成全段巡检，即使有水流和结构变形
- 算法轻量高效，适合低成本、小型化水下机器人部署
由于空间受限、浑浊度高及可靠定位信号匮乏，水下管道自主巡检极具挑战。本文提出一种极简传感策略，仅需惯性测量单元（IMU）、压力传感器以及两个声呐（一个向下单波束声呐和一个旋转360度声呐），即可使自由漂浮的水下机器人在已知半径的管道中实现自居中并穿越。我们设计了一种计算高效的单波束声呐强度数据转范围估计方法，在噪声与混响环境中仍能可靠检测管壁。基于两路声呐测距的闭式几何模型可实时估算管道中心位置，并通过自适应置信加权比例-微分（PD）控制器保持行进过程中的对齐状态。系统无需多普勒速度计、外部追踪或复杂多传感器阵列。在直径46厘米的淹没管道中，使用Blue Robotics BlueROV2重型遥控无人机进行实验，验证了系统在存在环境流和结构变形条件下仍能实现稳定居中与完整管道遍历。结果表明，采用轻量级、计算高效的感知与处理架构，可在受限环境中实现可靠的自主管道导航与巡检，显著提升水下自主巡检的实际可行性。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Autonomous underwater inspection of submerged pipelines is challenging due to confined geometries, turbidity, and the scarcity of reliable localization cues. This paper presents a minimal-sensing strategy that enables a free-swimming underwater robot to center itself and traverse a flooded pipe of known radius using only an IMU, a pressure sensor, and two sonars: a downward-facing single-beam sonar and a rotating 360 degree sonar. We introduce a computationally efficient method for extracting range estimates from single-beam sonar intensity data, enabling reliable wall detection in noisy and reverberant conditions. A closed-form geometric model leverages the two sonar ranges to estimate the pipe center, and an adaptive, confidence-weighted proportional-derivative (PD) controller maintains alignment during traversal. The system requires no Doppler velocity log, external tracking, or complex multi-sensor arrays. Experiments in a submerged 46 cm-diameter pipe using a Blue Robotics BlueROV2 heavy remotely operated vehicle demonstrate stable centering and successful full-pipe traversal despite ambient flow and structural deformations. These results show that reliable in-pipe navigation and inspection can be achieved with a lightweight, computationally efficient sensing and processing architecture, advancing the practicality of autonomous underwater inspection in confined environments.
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