Study On The Experimental System And The Localization Algorithm Of Active Underwater Electrolocation

The idea of active electrolocation comes from biomimetic research. The weaklyelectric fish can generate a low-frequency electric field actively by EOD (Electric OrganDischarge) and achieve positioning of object by sensing the change due to existence ofthe object in its surrounding. The ability to locate object using self-generated electricfield is called active electrolocation, the principle of which makes it low degree ofdependence on the environment and the low-frequency characteristic of which makes itssystem structure simple. In the years since, the technology of active electrolocation hasdeveloped new research ideas of underwater terminal navigation and location.The purpose of this paper is to develop a kind of prototype which can locatessubmerged object by the principle of active underwater electrolocation. First of all, thestudy introduces the active electrolocation principle of the weakly electric fish, andgives a detailed analysis of the bionic system requirements and functions, then designsan experimental platform which can be used to analyze the active electric field locationfeatures. Moreover, a series of experimental studies are performed on the platform,including different types of electric field and different attributes of objects. Throughwhich, the following main conclusions are drawn:1. The underwater electric signals sensed by receiving electrodes have the samefrequency with the electrical signals emitted by launching electrodes, but the amplitudeand phase.2. For one measured object, the sinusoidal electric field and the double-frequencyelectric field have similar positioning characteristics at the same frequency component.3. For objects of different attributes, the same electric field shows differentcharacteristics of active electrolocation in the range of detection frequencies. Thepositioning features of electric field is manifested by convexity to insulated cylinder, butassociated with the frequency to metallic cylinder. If frequency value inside the left ofthe transition region, the positioning features of electric field is manifested by concave;if the value inside the right of the transition region, it is manifested by convexity; if thevalue inside the transition region, the manifestation is not obvious. 4. For metallic objects of different attributes, the same electric field has differenttransition region.Based on the above positioning characteristics, a one-dimension localizationalgorithm for the active underwater electrolocalization was designed, by which theobject detection and localization for the active underwater electrolocation experimentalplatform have been realized. In this paper, a prototype of active underwaterelectrolocalization was successfully developed. The feasibility and effectiveness of theactive underwater electrolocalization system have been validated by this prototype,which provides a technology foundation of the further engineering application and thefollowing related research for the active underwater electrolocation system.