USV-Tracker task description
Figure. USV-Tracker task description. The blue line represents the predicted trajectory of the target, while the red line indicates the planned path of the USV, both incorporating obstacle avoidance and FOV constraints. (a) shows the physical tracking system, (b) the obstacle map for path planning, and (c) a diagram of dynamic target tracking with camera-FOV control. 图示。 USV-Tracker 任务说明。蓝线表示目标预测轨迹,红线表示无人艇规划路径,两者都考虑了避障策略和视场约束。(a) 为实际跟踪系统,(b) 为路径规划所使用的障碍物地图,(c) 展示了无人艇动态跟踪目标并同时调节相机视场的示意图。

Abstract 摘要

This paper introduces USV-Tracker, a novel tracking system for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) tailored for practical applications such as surface investigation and target tracking. The system tackles three pivotal challenges: perception robustness, tracking concealment, and planning efficiency. The contributions of this work are manifold: (1) A multi-sensor fusion framework utilizing an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to enhance target detection and positioning accuracy, integrating data from cameras, LiDAR, GPS, and IMU sensors. (2) A two-stage path planning algorithm that generates occlusion-avoidance trajectories and employs a virtual elastic-force constraint to maintain appropriate relative positioning. In dense obstacle environments, the algorithm tends to get closer to the target and incorporates FOV orientation constraints to ensure stable perception. (3) A visibility-aware control strategy that ensures continuous target observability through EKF-based trajectory prediction. Simulations in Gazebo and corresponding physical experiments validate the system's effectiveness and robustness, demonstrating its applicability in real-world scenarios. The computational workload is managed on a constrained on-board computer, underscoring the system's practicality.

本文提出了一种面向水面探测与目标跟踪实际需求的新型无人艇跟踪系统 USV-Tracker。系统重点解决了三个关键问题:感知鲁棒性、跟踪隐蔽性与规划效率。本文的主要贡献包括:1)构建基于扩展卡尔曼滤波(EKF)的多传感器融合框架,将相机、激光雷达、GPS 与 IMU 信息联合起来,提高目标检测与定位精度;2)提出两阶段路径规划算法,既能生成避遮挡轨迹,又通过虚拟弹性力约束保持合适的相对位置,在稠密障碍环境中还会结合视场朝向约束以确保稳定感知;3)提出基于可见性约束的控制策略,通过 EKF 轨迹预测持续保持目标可观测性。Gazebo 仿真与对应的实体实验共同验证了该系统的有效性与鲁棒性,并证明其能够在受限船载计算平台上运行,具备真实场景应用价值。

Video 视频

Physical experimental results. 实体实验结果。

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Recommended citation. 推荐引用。 Huang, T.*, Xue, Y.*, Xue, Z., Zhang, Z., Miao, Z., & Liu, Y. (2024). USV-Tracker: A novel USV tracking system for surface investigation with limited resources. Ocean Engineering, 312, 119196.