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Registered Member #1497
Joined: Thu May 22 2008, 05:24AM
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 801
So a few days ago I returned from a roadtrip to the AUVSI autonomous surface vehicle competition, where several universities entered autonomous boats which are designed to complete a set of tasks and navigate a course. From our perspective, as our first year in the competition, with little (ie: our own pockets) funding and no sponsorship, with only 35~ days remaining, and all but one of our team being non-engineering or computer science students, we were against a very steep learning curve.
The 'full' writeup is at my blog, but I'll highlight some of the more amusing details. Also, photos are located here.
So the boat took shape as a catamaran with pontoons made of extruded polystyrene for flotation, and a thin aluminum skin for durability, with a trolling motor for propulsion and directional steering achieved using an arduino, and homebuilt motor controllers set up as a servo style control (ie: position feedback determines motor direction by angle). Navigation was accomplished via a webcam and GPS with a macbook running linux, python, and openCV (vision library).
Two of the more interesting hacks were: - Using barbeque tongs for a passive capture system for life-ring buoys (one of the course tasks) - Using a cordless phone for wireless emergency stop (900MHz, with DTMF to determine command, resistant to interference).
The result of building the boat in 35 days and under $1000CAD was that we only placed 6/8 (but we beat UofMichigan with a $10k boat) and won the MacGyver award as well as placing first in static judging. Next year we intend to learn from our mistakes, make improvements, and get sponsorships for some proper gear including better sensors. At the very least, this can give a starting point for anyone that wants to try to build their own RC toy boat on steroids.
Registered Member #1497
Joined: Thu May 22 2008, 05:24AM
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 801
We were originally planning on cabling inside the pipes, but it turned out that because of time and practicality its easier to just cable tie to the pipes. The ABS pipe is structural.
As well the macbook was inside the case on the velcro.
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DIY autonomous (and remote controlled) robot boat
