A Hardware Proof of Concept of a Sailing Robot for Ocean Observation

A design for a sailing robot capable of holding station in a variety of wind and sea conditions is described. Results from experiments with an autonomously controlled small-scale prototype on a lake are also presented. The likely effects and problems of scale-up are examined, as are the cost considerations. Potential applications for a larger version of the robot are discussed and the requirements for communication and long term autonomy are considered in the light of the results obtained with the prototype. The potential for low-cost, flexible, in situ ocean observation is examined and likely capabilities of a system based on this type of robot are considered

I. Introduction

The development and deployment of autonomous robots for a number of applications has been successfully completed, most notably for planetary exploration. While the use of unmanned (both tethered and drifting) buoys for ocean observation is well established, the use of unmanned systems capable of long term purposeful navigation is still in its infancy. A large number of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have been developed [1]–[3], however, little experimentation with surface vehicles has been undertaken [4] [5]–[8]. Electrically or combustion engine propelled surface and underwater vessels must suffer severe limitations on endurance or be engineered on a very large scale in which case the need for, and advantage of, unmanned operation disappears. Sail propelled vessels thus prove an attractive prospect for investigation.