Self Organizing Maps for AUVs Mapping

The use of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) for underwater tasks is a promising robotic field. These robots can carry visual inspection cameras. Besides serving the activities of inspection and mapping, the captured images can also be used to aid navigation and localization of the robots. In this context, this paper proposes an approach to mapping of underwater vehicles. Supposing the use of inspection cameras, this proposal is composed of the development of topological maps using self-organizing maps and Growing Cell Structures(GCS) for localization and navigation. A set of tests was accomplished, regarding online and performance issues. The results reveals an accuracy and robust approach to several underwater conditions, as illumination and noise, leading to a promissory and original visual mapping technique.