NAVIGATION HARDWARE - AUTONOMOUS INSTRUMENTS

The World's most Advanced Solar powered Trimaran

 

 

5. NAVIGATION INSTRUMENTS

 

In days gone by navigational instruments would have included: Charts, Dividers, Parallel Rule, a Slide Rule, Nautical Almanac, Tables, a Magnetic Bearing Compass, a Sextant and a Marine Chronometer.

 

These are the traditional tools of the trade by which nautical navigators and pilots would find their present position and determine speed and direction to be able to arrive at the next port of destination.

Navigational sextant, an important nautical instrument

 

 

Imagine if you will that the modern tools of the trade are no different to their electronic counterparts, such as GPS replacing the compass. The main difference is that modern electronic instruments do away with the need for paper charts, making all the calculations for humans in a paperless helm.

 

The bit that made all the traditional instruments work is the human brain, but without the instruments, the human brain is unable to solve the navigation problem with any degree of precision. With our brain though, we are able to fashion tools. We are tool users, one of the skills that roughly two million years ago set Homo Habilis above his competitors.

 

It could be argued that the development of autonomous craft, is just another stage of our obsession with tools. This time taking ourselves out of the equation. Letting the robot vessel do all the work for us.

 

That is in essence what autonomy is all about, replacing the need for a human to connect the dots.

 

 

 

 

MODERN EQUIVALENTS

 

The ArduPilot Mega 2.5 is a complete open source autopilot system. It allows the user to turn any fixed, rotary wing or multirotor vehicle (including cars and boats) into a fully autonomous vehicle; capable of performing programmed GPS missions with waypoints. This version comes with the RC/Servo connectors unsoldered, so you can choose between straight or right-angled ones, both of which are included.

 



Features:

Arduino Compatible!
Includes both right angle and straight pins for I/O, allowing user to customize as needed.
Includes 3-axis gyro, accelerometer and magnetometer, along with a high-performance barometer
Onboard 4 MP Dataflash chip for automatic datalogging
Digital compass powered by Honeywell's HMC5883L-TR chip, now included on the main board.
Mediatek MT3329 module included in the price.
One of the first open source autopilot systems to use Invensense's 6 DoF Accelerometer/Gyro MPU-6000.
Barometric pressure sensor upgraded to MS5611-01BA03, from Measurement Specialties.
Atmel's ATMEGA2560 and ATMEGA32U-2 chips for processing and usb functions respectively.

 

 

RETURN TO MAIN AUTONOMOUS MENU

 

GO TO THE NEXT STEP


 

 

1. MODEL PROGRESS

2. BRUCE THE AUTOPILOT & A BIT MORE

3. STAR WARS - DRONE SATELLITE REMOTE CONTROL, MANUAL OVERRIDE

4. HAL COMPUTER HARDWARE

5. NAVIGATION INSTRUMENTS

6. THE EYES AND EARS - HAWKEYE

7. SELF DEFENCE - SCORPION

8. CAPTAIN NEMO - AI ROBOT

9.  LOCAL NAVIGATION EVENT

10. INTERMEDIATE CIRCUMNAVIGATION

11. THE AUTONOMOUS CIRCUMNAVIGATION

 

 

 

LINKS

 

www.eng.uah.edu/~fahimi/Platform_Boat.html

www.gps4us.com/GPS-independent-navigation-system-for-autonomous-vessels

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geodetic_system

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECEF

www.apl.washington.edu/projects/seaglider/summary
www.seaglider.washington.edu/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IRobot_Seaglider
Tropical Boats

http://wiki.rocrail.net/ddx

http://www97.homepage.villanova.edu/hashem.ashrafiuon

http://www.nghobbies.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=881

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

European Commission star circle logo  NineSigma, Group, Canada, accelerating technology logo

 

 

 

PROJECT LINKS

 

 

Alloys

Paints - Coatings

Autonomy - Computers - Software

Project Estimates

Batteries

Project Objectives

Composites

PR Events - 

Construction - Modular

Propeller

Diving - Hull survey & repair

Record Attempt

Electronics - Collision Avoidance COLREGS

Screens - 

Galley - 

Solar Arrays - tracking theory PIC PCB  MPPT PV trackers  Actuators & circuits

Hydraulics - Active hull - 

Stealth - Scorpion laser - Mine hunter

Hull Design - Capsize - SWASSH - Lubrication - Mass

Timber - 

Life Support - 

Tank Testing - Open water collision avoidance

Model ConstructionHulls - Wings - W'gens - ROV - AI

Tooling - 

Motors - DC v AC synchronous

Transmission - gearing & prop shaft/seals

Navigation  - Oceanographic Hydrographic Surveying

Treasure hunting - marine archaeology

Paints - Antifouling

Wind Turbines -

 

 

 

 

This website is copyright © 2013 Electrick Publications. All rights reserved. The bird logo and names Solar Navigator and Blueplanet Ecostar are trademarks ™.  The Blueplanet vehicle configuration is registered ®.  All other trademarks hereby acknowledged and please note that this project should not be confused with the Australian: 'World Solar Challenge'™which is a superb road vehicle endurance race from Darwin to Adelaide.  Max Energy Limited is an educational charity working hard to promote world peace.