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Sung-Chul Yoo

Pohang University of Science and Technology · Engineering

About the Lab

Professor Sung-Chul Yoo's research lab specializes in autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) navigation, sensing, and control, with a strong focus on underwater robotics and intelligent perception systems. The lab develops advanced control strategies such as integral sliding mode control to ensure robust stability in the face of hydrodynamic uncertainties and oceanic disturbances. It also pioneers innovative sensing techniques—including vision-based navigation, acoustic camera (DIDSON) imaging, and multi-sonar fusion—for reliable underwater object recognition, 3D reconstruction, and environment mapping. The lab emphasizes real-world applicability through field experiments and simulation-driven validation of autonomous systems in complex underwater environments.

underwater roboticssonar imaging3D reconstructionAUV navigationunderwater vision

Research Overview

Papers
176
Total Citations
2,324
Papers (5y)
27
Primary Field
Engineering

Research Output Trend

Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.

Publications per year (5y)
27total
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Citations per year (5y)
117total
20222023202420252026

Selected Papers

15
1
Article|171 citations·2014
Second-order sliding-mode controller for autonomous underwater vehicle in the presence of unknown disturbances
Hangil Joe, Minsung Kim, Son‐Cheol Yu
SJR Q1Nonlinear Dynamics
Control and Systems EngineeringEngineering
2
Article|93 citations·2015
Integral sliding mode controller for precise manoeuvring of autonomous underwater vehicle in the presence of unknown environmental disturbances
Minsung Kim, Hangil Joe, Jinwhan Kim, Son‐Cheol Yu
SJR Q2International Journal of Control

We propose an integral sliding mode controller (ISMC) to stabilse an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) which is subject to modelling errors and often suffers from unknown environmental disturbances. The ISMC is effective in compensating for the uncertainties in the hydrodynamic and hydrostatic parameters of the vehicle and rejecting the unpredictable disturbance effects due to ocean waves, tides and currents. The ISMC is comprised of an equivalent controller and a switching controller to suppr

Control and Systems EngineeringEngineering
3
Article|79 citations·2020
Realistic Sonar Image Simulation Using Deep Learning for Underwater Object Detection
Minsung Sung, Jason Kim, Meungsuk Lee, Byeongjin Kim, Taesik Kim, Juhwan Kim, Son‐Cheol Yu
SJR Q2International Journal of Control Automation and Systems
OceanographyEarth and Planetary Sciences
4
Article|70 citations·2015
Development of hovering type AUV “Cyclops” and its performance evaluation using image mosaicing
Juhyun Pyo, Hyeonwoo Cho, Hangil Joe, Tamaki Ura, Son‐Cheol Yu
SJR Q1Ocean Engineering
Ocean EngineeringEngineering
5
Article|62 citations·2017
Development of a flap-type mooring-less wave energy harvesting system for sensor buoy
Hangil Joe, Hyunwoo Roh, Hyeonwoo Cho, Son‐Cheol Yu
SJR Q1Energy
Ocean EngineeringEngineering
6
Article|53 citations·2014
Acoustic beam profile-based rapid underwater object detection for an imaging sonar
Hyeonwoo Cho, Jeonghwe Gu, Hangil Joe, Akira Asada, Son‐Cheol Yu
SJR Q1Journal of Marine Science and Technology
OceanographyEarth and Planetary Sciences
7
Article|41 citations·2002
Navigation of autonomous underwater vehicles based on artificial underwater landmarks
Son‐Cheol Yu, T. Ura, Toshihiro Fujii, Hayato Kondo

Near underwater structures or the surface of shallow water, acoustic sensing based navigation of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) suffers from inaccurate positioning which is caused by acoustic sensing such as multi-pass and noisy data. In the paper a new underwater navigation method for AUVs is proposed based on artificial underwater landmarks which are recognized by a vision system implemented in the robot. An underwater image processing strategy and an underwater vision environment analy

Ocean EngineeringEngineering
8
Article|34 citations·2021
Sensor fusion of two sonar devices for underwater 3D mapping with an AUV
Hangil Joe, Hyeonwoo Cho, Minsung Sung, Jinwhan Kim, Son‐Cheol Yu
SJR Q1Autonomous Robots
Ocean EngineeringEngineering
9
Article|31 citations·2007
Development of real-time acoustic image recognition system using by autonomous marine vehicle
Son‐Cheol Yu
SJR Q1Ocean Engineering
Ocean EngineeringEngineering
10
Article|28 citations·2006
Development of High-Resolution Acoustic Camera based Real-Time Object Recognition System by using Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.
Son‐Cheol Yu, Tae-won Kim, Akira Asada, Scott Weatherwax, Ben C. Collins, Junku Yuh

This paper addresses acoustic camera DIDSON based object recognition method for AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles). The acoustic camera's characteristics and display method based on various experiments and the acoustic camera model and efficient and reliable image recognition method for AUVs are proposed. As examples, the cubic and cylindrical objects modeled to simulate the image and their recognition test was carried out in experimental tank

Ocean EngineeringEngineering
11
Article|28 citations·2015
Real-time sonar image enhancement for AUV-based acoustic vision
Hyeonwoo Cho, Son‐Cheol Yu
SJR Q1Ocean Engineering
OceanographyEarth and Planetary Sciences
12
Article|26 citations·2020
3D Reconstruction Using Two Sonar Devices in a Monte-Carlo Approach for AUV Application
Hangil Joe, Jason Kim, Son‐Cheol Yu
SJR Q2International Journal of Control Automation and Systems
Ocean EngineeringEngineering
13
Article|26 citations·2021
High-precision Underwater 3D Mapping Using Imaging Sonar for Navigation of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
Byeongjin Kim, Hangil Joe, Son‐Cheol Yu
SJR Q2International Journal of Control Automation and Systems
Aerospace EngineeringEngineering
14
Article|24 citations·2019
Sensor Fusion-based 3D Reconstruction by Two Sonar Devices for Seabed Mapping
Hangil Joe, Jason Kim, Son‐Cheol Yu
IFAC-PapersOnLineOA

We propose a sequential method to extract height information for 3D mapping by using sensor fusion of two sonar devices. The 3D reconstruction using sonar image from forward scanning sonar (FSS) is an ill-posed problem, thus we need additional constraints to extract 3D information from the sonar images. Our approach is to utilize complementary information from an additional sonar which is profiling sonar (PS) and geometric constraints between the installations of two sonars. Two sonars are fixed

Ocean EngineeringEngineering
15
Article|24 citations·2013
Armless underwater manipulation using a small deployable agent vehicle connected by a smart cable
Son‐Cheol Yu, Junku Yuh, Jinwhan Kim
SJR Q1Ocean Engineering
Ocean EngineeringEngineering

Research Areas

Ocean EngineeringAerospace EngineeringOceanographyComputer Vision and Pattern RecognitionControl and Systems EngineeringWater Science and Technology

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