Autonomous Cleaning System Using Manipulator for Niche Area of Ship Hull: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Biofouling is a significant eco-economical problem. Because biofouling causes ships to experience skin friction drag and disturbs the ecosystem, the regulation of ship hull cleaning is being improved. However, the niche areas of a ship are difficult to clean using a vehicle-based robot because of the complex cleaning area and fast growth rate of biofouling. In this study, we developed an autonomous cleaning system using a multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulic manipulator for the niche area of a ship hull. Our system uses a manipulator to reach a complex niche area and recognizes the cleaning target surface using an underwater laser scanner. Based on the recognized cleaning area, the robot plans an optimal path considering the full coverage and normal vectors of the target area. Our proposed robot system was verified on the ground and under water and showed adequate cleaning performance.