Hierarchical Multi-Scale Modelling of ROV-Mounted Rolling Brush Systems: From Filament Micro-Dynamics to Full Vehicle Integration

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-750-7_74How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Underwater robotics; ROV dynamics; modal analysis; tool-vehicle interaction; hierarchical modelling; thruster allocation; and marine biofouling

Abstract

When you use brushes on a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to clean marine biofouling, it’s not just a matter of scrubbing. There are a lot of unknowns in this complicated control problem. The brush’s response pressures might easily move the vessel, making it harder to keep it in the right area. Modern models usually simplify brushes to springs or dampers, ignoring the physics behind them. Finite-element models are precise but require substantial computer resources for real-time control. We created a hierarchical modelling approach that links the micro-mechanics of each bristle directly to the full-scale dynamics of the vehicle. We commenced our research by utilising Euler-Bernoulli theory and modal decomposition to define each nylon filament as a flexible cantilever beam. This let us create closed-form equations for the basic response forces. Later, we added a whole brush assembly, including DC motor electromechanics to account for the brush’s natural slowing down when loads change, which constant-speed models don’t take into consideration. After that, we added this disturbance model to a BlueROV2 simulator with six degrees of freedom. The results show that the brush can create steady forces of up to 221 N (more than twice the vehicle’s thrust in some directions) as well as strong resistive torques. Engineers can use this setup to make strong controllers that can handle loads and be used in water before they are put into use.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Rishabh Pratap Singh
AU  - Kishor Kumar Das
AU  - Prabhat Thakur
AU  - Bhushan Thool
AU  - Jagadeesh Kadiyam
AU  - Santhakumar Mohan
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/31
TI  - Hierarchical Multi-Scale Modelling of ROV-Mounted Rolling Brush Systems: From Filament Micro-Dynamics to Full Vehicle Integration
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Advanced Design, Manufacturing, and Sustainable Energy Systems (ICADMSES 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 1034
EP  - 1048
SN  - 2589-4943
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-750-7_74
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-750-7_74
ID  - Singh2026
ER  -