Patent ID: 8370105
Filing Date: 2013-02-05
Classification: G01C,G21C,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A system for detecting a position of an underwater vehicle adapted to move three-dimensionally, the system comprising: a vertical position detector provided on the underwater vehicle for detecting a vertical position of the vehicle; a relative distance detector provided on the underwater vehicle, the distance detector being adapted for detecting a relative distance between the underwater vehicle and a structure neighboring the vehicle, in each of at least three directions on substantially the same plane predefined with respect to the attitude of the vehicle; storage means for storing data on a three-dimensional shape which is constructed by a plurality of triangle polygons dividing a surface shape of the structure, and on a position of the structure; structure cross-section computing means for computing a position of a detection direction plane of the relative distance detector on the basis of the vertical position of the underwater vehicle that has been detected by the vertical position detector, and computing a cross-sectional shape and position of the structure at the computed position of the detection direction plane of the relative distance detector on the basis of the structure data that is stored in the storage means; and horizontal position computing means for computing, from detection results by the relative distance detector, a relative position of the underwater vehicle with respect to the structure cross-sectional shape that has been computed by the structure cross-section computing means, the horizontal position computing means being further adapted to compute a horizontal position of the underwater vehicle from position information in the cross-sectional shape of the structure.