Ray-Based Physical Modeling and Simulation of Multibeam Sonar for Underwater Robotics in ROS-Gazebo Framework

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Oceanography
• Computer Simulation

Background:

• Traditional multibeam sonar simulation lacks comprehensive physics-based models, leading to inaccurate imagery and potential over-fitting in control designs.
• Existing physics-based simulation methods using rasterization struggle with data resolution control and performance in local search scenarios with large data distances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel ray-based approach for sonar simulation to overcome the limitations of raster-based methods.
• To enhance the physical accuracy and resolution control in sonar imagery for underwater robotics perception.
• To improve the flexibility and capability of sonar simulation without compromising image quality.

Main Methods:

• Developed a ray-based approach for acquiring perception data from simulated environments.
• Integrated the ray-based data into physical equation calculations for sonar image generation.
• Compared the performance and image quality of the ray-based method against the traditional raster-based method.

Main Results:

• The ray-based approach maintains comparable sonar image generation quality, including physical characteristics, to the raster-based method.
• The ray-based method demonstrates superior flexibility and control over data resolution.
• Performance was validated in local search scenarios, including object detection and ground grazing simulations.

Conclusions:

• The ray-based approach effectively addresses the limitations of raster-based sonar simulation for underwater robotics.
• This method offers enhanced control over resolution and maintains physical fidelity, leading to more reliable sonar perception.
• The ray-based simulation provides a more capable and flexible tool for developing and testing underwater robotic systems.