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Sensors for Unmanned Surface/Underwater Vehicles: Current State-of-the-Art and Future Trends
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Sensors for Unmanned Surface/Underwater Vehicles: Current State-of-the-Art and Future Trends

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Navigation and Positioning".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2025) | Viewed by 3908

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Eduardo Silva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. INESCTEC—Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
2. ISEP—School of Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida 431, 4249-015 Porto, Portugal
Interests: field robotics; marine robotics; autonomous systems; engineering and technology; electrotechnical engineering; electronics and informatics; robotics and automatic control

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Sensors, entitled "Sensors for Unmanned Surface/Underwater Vehicles: Current State-of-the-Art and Future Trends", explores the critical role of sensors in enhancing the capabilities of autonomous surface and underwater vehicles. These sensors enable unmanned vehicles to navigate, perceive their surroundings, and precisely execute tasks. This Issue delves into the various types of sensors, such as sonar, cameras, inertial sensors, and EMF sensors, highlighting their applications in underwater and surface environments alike. Specialised sensors can aid in obstacle detection, navigation, data collection (from biogeochemical to physical data), underwater cable detection, and underwater/air offshore maintenance, to mention only several areas of utility, ensuring the efficient and reliable operation of unmanned vehicles in challenging maritime conditions. Integrating advanced sensor technologies improves autonomy, safety, and mission success for unmanned surface and underwater vehicles across diverse applications, including environmental monitoring, surveillance, support to offshore energy facilities, and scientific research.

Dr. Eduardo Silva
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • autonomous vehicles
  • underwater sensors
  • unmanned surface vehicles
  • maritime robotics
  • offshore energy
  • sensor integration
  • sonar technology
  • navigation systems
  • environmental monitoring
  • underwater robotics
  • remote sensing

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 5175 KiB  
Article
Underwater Invisible Light Communication Network with Beam Steering Technology for Dynamic Switching Between Aerial and Underwater Optical Paths
by Kiichiro Kuwahara, Keita Tanaka, Ayumu Kariya, Shogo Hayashida and Takahiro Kodama
Sensors 2025, 25(4), 1053; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25041053 - 10 Feb 2025
Viewed by 585
Abstract
This study proposes a bidirectional underwater optical wireless communication network that maximizes data transmission capacity by dynamically switching between underwater and aerial optical paths based on channel conditions. The proposed system employs adaptive modulation and beam steering techniques to address dynamic factors, such [...] Read more.
This study proposes a bidirectional underwater optical wireless communication network that maximizes data transmission capacity by dynamically switching between underwater and aerial optical paths based on channel conditions. The proposed system employs adaptive modulation and beam steering techniques to address dynamic factors, such as turbidity and transmission distance, in underwater channels. The experimental results revealed that switching to the aerial optical path when the underwater transmission distance exceeded 1.8 m led to significant performance improvements, with consistent SNR and bit rates maintained in the aerial channel, unlike the exponential degradation observed underwater. Dynamic evaluations demonstrated that the system maintained high transmission capacity and SNR stability, even with incremental increases in underwater distances. In a 4K UHD video streaming experiment, switching from the underwater optical path to the aerial path reduced video quality degradation, delivering near-original video quality with latency as low as 20 ms. Furthermore, tolerance experiments for beam steering misalignment showed a sharp performance drop at a maximum misalignment of 2 degrees, with a 12 dB SNR loss and a reduction of 222 Mbps in transmission capacity. These findings suggest that selectively utilizing underwater and aerial optical paths based on channel conditions enables reliable and efficient data transmission, paving the way for next-generation underwater optical wireless communication networks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Unmanned Surface/Underwater Vehicles: Current State-of-the-Art and Future Trends)
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30 pages, 5185 KiB  
Article
A Hybrid Framework for Maritime Surveillance: Detecting Illegal Activities through Vessel Behaviors and Expert Rules Fusion
by Vinicius D. do Nascimento, Tiago A. O. Alves, Claudio M. de Farias and Diego Leonel Cadette Dutra
Sensors 2024, 24(17), 5623; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24175623 - 30 Aug 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1486
Abstract
Maritime traffic is essential for global trade but faces significant challenges, including navigation safety, environmental protection, and the prevention of illicit activities. This work presents a framework for detecting illegal activities carried out by vessels, combining navigation behavior detection models with rules based [...] Read more.
Maritime traffic is essential for global trade but faces significant challenges, including navigation safety, environmental protection, and the prevention of illicit activities. This work presents a framework for detecting illegal activities carried out by vessels, combining navigation behavior detection models with rules based on expert knowledge. Using synthetic and real datasets based on the Automatic Identification System (AIS), we structured our framework into five levels based on the Joint Directors of Laboratories (JDL) model, efficiently integrating data from multiple sources. Activities are classified into four categories: illegal fishing, suspicious activity, anomalous activity, and normal activity. To address the issue of a lack of labels and integrate data-driven detection with expert knowledge, we employed a stack ensemble model along with active learning. The results showed that the framework was highly effective, achieving 99% accuracy in detecting illegal fishing and 92% in detecting suspicious activities. Furthermore, it drastically reduced the need for manual checks by specialists, transforming experts’ tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge through the models and allowing continuous updates of maritime domain rules. This work significantly contributes to maritime surveillance, offering a scalable and efficient solution for detecting illegal activities in the maritime domain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Unmanned Surface/Underwater Vehicles: Current State-of-the-Art and Future Trends)
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20 pages, 8396 KiB  
Article
Depth Control of an Underwater Sensor Platform: Comparison between Variable Buoyancy and Propeller Actuated Devices
by João Falcão Carneiro, João Bravo Pinto, Fernando Gomes de Almeida and Nuno A. Cruz
Sensors 2024, 24(10), 3050; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24103050 - 11 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1152
Abstract
Underwater long-endurance platforms are crucial for continuous oceanic observation, allowing for sustained data collection from a multitude of sensors deployed across diverse underwater environments. They extend mission durations, reduce maintenance needs, and significantly improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of oceanographic research endeavors. This [...] Read more.
Underwater long-endurance platforms are crucial for continuous oceanic observation, allowing for sustained data collection from a multitude of sensors deployed across diverse underwater environments. They extend mission durations, reduce maintenance needs, and significantly improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of oceanographic research endeavors. This paper investigates the closed-loop depth control of actuation systems employed in underwater vehicles, focusing on the energy consumption of two different mechanisms: variable buoyancy and propeller actuated devices. Using a prototype previously developed by the authors, this paper presents a detailed model of the vehicle using both actuation solutions. The proposed model, although being a linear-based one, accounts for several nonlinearities that are present such as saturations, sensor quantization, and the actuator brake model. Also, it allows a simple estimation of the energy consumption of both actuation solutions. Based on the developed models, this study then explores the intricate interplay between energy consumption and control accuracy. To this end, several PID-based controllers are developed and tested in simulation. These controllers are used to evaluate the dynamic response and power requirements of variable buoyancy systems and propeller actuated devices under various operational conditions. Our findings contribute to the optimization of closed-loop depth control strategies, offering insights into the trade-offs between energy efficiency and system effectiveness in diverse underwater applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Unmanned Surface/Underwater Vehicles: Current State-of-the-Art and Future Trends)
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