• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2020

In this paper, we introduce the methodology that utilizes deep learning-based front-end to enhance underwater feature matching. Both optical camera and sonar are widely applicable sensors in underwater research, however, each sensor has its own weaknesses, such as light condition and turbidity for the optic camera, and noise for sonar. To overcome the problems, we proposed the opti-acoustic transformation method. Since feature detection in sonar image is challenging, we converted the sonar image to an optic style image. Maintaining the main contents in the sonar image, CNN-based style transfer method changed the style of the image that facilitates feature detection. Finally, we verified our result using cosine similarity comparison and feature matching against the original optic image.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.35-42
• /
• 2008

This study introduces a robust feature detector for sonar data from a general fixed-type of sonar ring. The detector is composed of a data association filter and a feature extractor. The data association filter removes false returns provided frequently from sonar sensors, and classifies set of data from various objects and robot positions into a group in which all the data are from the same object. The feature extractor calculates the geometries of the feature for the group. We show the possibility of extracting circle feature as well as a line and a point features. The proposed method was applied to a real home environment with a real robot.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
• /
• v.28 no.10
• /
• pp.1174-1180
• /
• 2011

Not all line or point features capable of being extracted by sonar sensors from cluttered home environments are useful for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) due to their ambiguity because it is difficult to determine the correspondence of line or point features with previously registered feature. Confused line and point features in cluttered environments leads to poor SLAM performance. We introduce a sonar feature structure suitable for a cluttered environment and the extended Kalman filter (EKF)-based SLAM scheme. The reliable line feature is expressed by its end points and engaged togather in EKF SLAM to overcome the geometric limits and maintain the map consistency. Experimental results demonstrate the validity and robustness of the proposed method.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.214-220
• /
• 2016

Imaging sonars such as side-scanning sonar or forward-looking sonar are becoming fundamental sensors in the underwater robotics field. However, using sonar images for underwater perception presents many challenges. Sonar images are usually low resolution with inherent speckled noise. To overcome the limited sensor information for underwater perception, we investigated preprocessing methods for sonar images and feature detection methods for a nonlinear scale space. In this paper, we focus on a comparative analysis of (1) preprocessing for sonar images and (2) the feature detection performance in relation to the scale space composition.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.64-75
• /
• 2010

This study introduces a complete feature map building method of sonar sensors for mobile robots. This method enhances the reality of feature maps by extracting even circle features as well as line and point features from sonar data. Edge features are, moreover, generated by combining line features close to circle features extracted around comer sites. The uncertainties of the specular reflection phenomenon and wide beam width of sonar data can be, therefore, reduced through this map building method. The experimental results demonstrate a practical validity of the proposed method in those environments.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.385-394
• /
• 2017

Side scanning sonar (SSS) provides valuable information for robot navigation. However using the side scanning sonar images in the navigation was not fully studied. In this paper, we use range data, and side scanning sonar images from UnderWater Simulator (UWSim) and propose measurement models in a feature based simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) framework. The range data is obtained by echosounder and sidescanning sonar images from side scan sonar module for UWSim. For the feature, we used the A-KAZE feature for the SSS image matching and adjusting the relative robot pose by SSS bundle adjustment (BA) with Ceres solver. We use BA for the loop closure constraint of pose-graph SLAM. We used the Incremental Smoothing and Mapping (iSAM) to optimize the graph. The optimized trajectory was compared against the dead reckoning (DR).

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.33-39
• /
• 2017

In this paper, an effective feature which is capable of classifying targets among the detections obtained from 2D range-bearing maps generated in active sonar environments is proposed. Most conventional approaches for target classification with the 2D maps have considered magnitude of peak and statistical features of the area surrounding the peak. To improve the classification performance, HOG(Histogram of Gradient) feature, which is popular for their robustness in the image textures analysis is applied. In order to classify the target signal, SVM(Support Vector Machine) method with reduced HOG feature by the PCA(Principal Component Analysis) algorithm is incorporated. The various simulations are conducted with the real clutter signal data and the synthesized target signal data. According to the simulated results, the proposed method considering HOG feature is claimed to be effective when classifying the active sonar target compared to the conventional methods.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
• /
• v.19 no.5
• /
• pp.629-634
• /
• 2009

In real-time system application, the feature extraction and scoring algorithm for classification of the passive sonar target has the following problems: it requires an accurate and efficient feature extraction method because it is very difficult to distinguish the features of the propeller shaft rate (PSR) and the blade rate (BR) from the frequency spectrum in real-time, it requires a robust and effective feature scoring method because the classification database (DB) composed of extracted features is noised and incomplete, and further, it requires an easy design procedure in terms of structures and parameters. To solve these problems, an intelligent feature extraction and scoring algorithm using the evolution strategy (ES) and the fuzzy theory is proposed here. To verify the performance of the proposed algorithm, a passive sonar target classification is performed in real-time. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm effectively solves sonar classification problems in real-time.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
• /
• v.20 no.10
• /
• pp.1637-1645
• /
• 2017

Target/Nontarget classification can be divided into the study of shape estimation of the target analysing reflected echo signal and of type classification of the target using acoustical features. In active sonar system, the feature vectors are extracted from the signal reflected from the target, and an classification algorithm is applied to determine whether the received signal is a target or not. However, received sonar signals can be distorted in the underwater environments, and the spatio-temporal characteristics of active sonar signals change according to the aspect of the target. In addition, it is very difficult to collect real sea-trial data for research. In this paper, target/non-target classification were performed using real sea-trial data. Feature vectors are extracted using MFCC(Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients), filterbank energy in the Fourier spectrum and wavelet domain. For the performance verification, classification experiments were performed using backpropagation neural network classifiers.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.9-16
• /
• 2015

Various approaches to process active sonar signals are under study, but there are many problems to be considered. The sonar signals are distorted by the underwater environment, and the spatio-temporal and spectral characteristics of active sonar signals change in accordance with the aspect of the target even though they come from the same one. And it has difficulties in collecting actual underwater data. In this paper, we synthesized active target echoes based on ray tracing algorithm using target model having 3-dimensional highlight distribution. Then, Fractional Fourier transform was applied to synthesized target echoes to extract feature vector. Recognition experiment was performed using probabilistic neural network classifier.