| Sol No.: |
Navy STTR FY2010.A |
| Topic No.: |
N10A-T036 |
| Topic Title: |
Mitigation of USV Motions via Wave Sensing and Prediction |
| Proposal No.: |
N10A-036-0764 |
| Firm: |
Advanced Scientific Concepts, Inc.
135 E. Ortega Street
Santa Barbara, California 93101 |
| Contact: |
Roger Stettner |
| Phone: |
(805) 966-3331 |
| Abstract: |
Advanced Scientific Concepts, Inc. (ASC) has teamed with the Department of Ocean Engineering at The University of Rhode Island to devise a sensor suite and computer algorithm to predict ocean waves to aid autonomous boat navigation in heavy weather. The centerpiece of the sensor suite is a Lidar designed by ASC that is adapted to image the ocean at glancing angles. It's ability to acquire a 3D snapshot of an entire scene rather than scan the scene pixel by pixel will provide more accurate data on a wave tossed boat than conventional scanning Lidars. A simple algorithm to predict the waves is suggested for moderately heavy weather which is based on a coxswain's handling of the situation. In heavily confused seas a simulation of the ocean has been devised. |
| Benefits: |
Development of the proposed system to aid an unmanned boat to navigate autonomously in heavy weather will also be useful to commercial vessels. It will help a helmsman to anticipate the waves he will encounter in rough seas enabling him to steer a safer course. Commercial ships and pleasure craft are sometimes steered by automatic pilots whose performance would be improved if they were able to anticipate the motion of the sea. |