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The RoboBoat competition is an international challenge that focuses on advancing the development of Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASVs). Organized by RoboNation, this multidisciplinary robotics competition brings together teams from across the globe to design, build, and operate autonomous maritime systems capable of performing complex tasks in a dynamic aquatic environment.
Teams are tasked with developing Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) that can autonomously navigate, avoid obstacles, and complete mission objectives without human intervention. These missions often simulate real-world challenges related to environmental monitoring, marine research, and defense.
RoboBoat emphasizes the integration of hardware, software algorithms, and sensor technologies, pushing teams to innovate in areas such as navigation, object detection, and autonomy. Through this competition, students gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge technologies, preparing them for future roles in the fields of engineering, robotics, and maritime autonomy.
For more information, visit: https://www.roboboat.org/
AUTONOMOUS SURFACE VEHICLE (ASV)
AUTONOMOUS SURFACE VEHICLE (ASV)
The design had to be capable of withstanding various saltwater conditions, while also fulfilling the requirements of RoboBoat and student projects at FAU.
The hull design had three main constraints: physical construction, testing, and budget. To construct the hull, FAU’s SeaTech campus provided the team with resources such as CNC machinery. The campus also provided intercostal water access to test the hull. This left the main constraint as a budget of US$2,800. To stay within the budget, the team maximized the time and material available by diligently planning the design and build process ahead of time.
The team’s criteria for the hull design included those necessary to compete in the RoboBoat competition, as defined in the competitions requirements :
Must fit within a 1.829 x 0.914 x 0.914 m box
Must have a mass of less than 63.5 kg
Additional criteria were set by the team team to help with the design process and to allow the vehicle to be used in multiple scenarios:
The capability to operate at 1 m/s
The capability to operate in 10 m/s headwind
The capability to operate in a marina environment with fairly flat waters with an occasional wake from passing vessels
Sufficient strength to accommodate caused by the use of docking machinery
Protection of electronics from the water by height above the waterline
To design a hull that met all the constraints and criteria above, the team decided to focus on optimizing five characteristics: buoyancy, stability, structural integrity, maneuverability, and the ability to be repurposed for a variety of uses.
The ASV’s propulsion system, developed by FAU in tandem with the hull, is differential drive. Two Blue Robotics T200 thrusters were mounted to the stern of the ASV with one on each hull. these thrusters provide 36.4 N of thrust, which fulfills the criteria above.
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