When Birds Meet Fish: Vision-Force Fusion for Autonomous Underwater Docking in Cross-Domain Avian-Aquatic Collaboration
Hongchang Liu, Ruiheng Wang, Yongkang Jiang, Zhang Shenli, Xiangdan Zhao, Xin Xu, Yulong Ding, Feng Lyu
Abstract
Unmanned aerial–aquatic vehicles (UAAVs) provide cross-domain adaptability and broad visions, while autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) support long-duration operations. This work integrates the two by developing a rapid underwater docking and releasing system. An autonomous clamping mechanism is designed to anchor UAAVs under varied landing attitudes, and a vision–tactile state perception algorithm based on decision-level dual-modal fusion is proposed to enable reliable underwater docking with no need of communications between the UAAV and AUV. Experimental results validate autonomous perception and reliable docking in fully underwater environments, achieving a docking time of 6 s and a landing gear recognition accuracy of 3 mm. The proposed framework offers an efficient solution for aerial–aquatic cooperation, advancing cross-domain robotic platforms for ocean monitoring, emergency response, and underwater exploration.