POBO

As part of the DIVERS program launched by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWI), the Ponton Boot (PoBo) project, which is led by General Dynamics European Land Systems – Bridge Systems GmbH, is funded. The aim of the project is to develop a multifunctional, modular swimming platform. This platform can be configured as a heavy-duty transport, work, diving and recovery platform as well as a bridge. Using specially developed propulsion systems and supported by drone-based underwater sensors, safe (semi) autonomous driving in flooded and non-mapped areas should be possible.
The Robotic Research Lab is responsible for the sub-project "Environment detection and semi- autonomous control of PoBo". Especially an adequate sensor system should be selected and perception methodologies should be developed for the detection of the environment above and below the water. For this purpose, the underwater profile should be determined using sonar sensors and the scenario above water should be described using camera and laser systems. A drivable waterway is initially to be recorded using a drone and a faster scan boat. The map of the navigable waterway can be used by both a coxswain and an autonomous control system. A behavior-based control architecture is to be developed for semi-autonomous control of the system. A realistic simulation environment is set up to test the control and perception at an early stage. The final validation of the approach is to be carried out with the pontoon boat and the scan boat on a water landscape that resembles a flood plain.