Design of a Novel Autonomous Docking System With a Supporting Robotic Fish.

Underwater supporting robots serving as a relay of energy supplements and communication for other underwater equipment are promising for ocean exploration, development, and protection. This paper proposes a novel autonomous docking system centered on a designed supporting robotic fish named ‘CourierFish’. Specifically, CourierFish is capable of docking with a surface dock station for supplying itself and docking with a seafloor platform for supporting equipment in the platform. A visual navigation scheme integrating LED and ArUco markers is presented for accurate localization. The control approach for docking motion is also illustrated. Simulations and aquatic experiments are performed to verify the feasibility of the proposed docking system. The obtained results lay a solid foundation for the construction of various underwater equipment and robot networks.