Sights set on the current robotic world sailing record
The ASV Roboat was adapted from a 3.75 m (12 ft) Laerling keelboat, which was originally designed as a learner boat for children. For this reason, it was built for safety and stability, with a 60 kg (132 lb) keel-ballast that helps make the boat virtually unsinkable.
From this base, a team from the Austrian Society for Innovative Computer Sciences (INNOC) added a battery bank, solar panels providing up to 285 W of power, a direct methanol fuel cell delivering 65 W for backup power, and a three-stage communication system combining WLAN, UMTS/GPRS and an IRIDIUM satellite communication system for navigation and tracking.
After the target coordinates are entered, the boat’s onboard data from the various sensors, including GPS, compass and anemometer, on an NMEA200-bus are analyzed by the onboard Linux PC and instructions sent to the rudder, sails, tacks and jibes to get it to its destination.
via Gizmag – Darren Quick
The Latest News: Robotic Boat updated minute-by-minute