ArduBoat: Any way to have it hold position against current/wind?

Posted by AntimatterCrusader on September 24, 2015 at 5:40pm

Hello! I am rebuilding an old APMBoat from a few years ago, and at the time was unable to find a way to get the boat to hold position. When it reached the final waypoint, it would just stop and float with the current/wind. The only thing I was able to do is have it change speed and repeat a pattern with the DO_JUMP command very slowly. 

But that wastes power - is there a way to get it to return to a location if it drifts a set distance away? 

I was thinking I would use a geofence, but it looks like that capability is not implemented iwth APMRover. 

Any workarounds, suggestions? 

Thanks!

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Replies

  • Eddie Weeks September 15, 2016 at 7:27pm

    I did this years ago but I was not using APM or pixhawk.   The code simply increased the power

    as the distance from the boat to the target point increased...  Eventually it would stabilize and sit very still

    while facing the target point.   It was not good a staying at any exact location that you set.  But with very simple

    code it would stay put and not move much at all...    You can read about it here..

    2011 Weeks, E., C. Li, H. Roberts, R. Shaw, N. Walker, A Comparison of an Unmanned Survey Vessel to Manned Vessels for Nearshore Tidal Current and Transport Measurements. Marine Technology Society Journal, vol. 45(5):71-77.

    attached is my latest boat...  Pixhawk  can operate 24/7 at 3 knots3702300318?profile=original

  • Gabriel Walton August 20, 2016 at 3:20pm

    David,

    They are planning to use GPS when it is at the surface and USBL when underwater. 

    Regards,

    Gabriel

    David Boulanger said:

    I'll be interested how its done without GPS.

    Regards,

    David R. Boulanger

  • David Boulanger August 20, 2016 at 9:34am

    I'll be interested how its done without GPS.

    Regards,

    David R. Boulanger

  • Gabriel Walton August 20, 2016 at 5:14am

    David,

    Thanks for your reply.

    A 4 thrustered set up may work using the ArduSub code as it is based on ArduCopter which has the loiter function.

    Currently though the loiter isn't implemented in ArdSub but it is being worked on.

    Regards,

    Gabriel

  • David Boulanger August 19, 2016 at 3:33pm

    Gabriel,

    This simply does not exist now with the current code. 

    To the best of my knowledge.  You may be able to do a Do_Set_Repeat with a time delay.  I have not tried this however.

    Regards,

    David R. Boulanger

  • Gabriel Walton August 19, 2016 at 2:50pm


    Darius,

    I've just come across this discussion. 

    Did the project progress? I am very interested in building a dynamically positioned platform using ArduRover.

    Regards,

    Gabriel
    Darius Jack said:

    David,

    I am flexible.

    Electric thrusters preordered.

    Discuss today mounting points.

    One front thruster to move a boat to turn around to fix heading against wind direction/ water current vector superposition.

    Individual electric thrusters can be wired or autonomous, radio PWM  controlled.

    Plan to test 2 underground scooters mounted on the sides.

    Costs and spending should be limited, mounting and deploymont easy.

    Inflatable pontoon/ boat is planned for use to test control algorithms/modes.

    I would be very happy if only one another man on the globe is interested to develop this GPS Anchor, open-source open-hardware project.

  • Darius Jack December 11, 2015 at 7:41am
    follow-up

    (tried to edit my original message but EDIT button failed to work)
    --

    Read this

    SPEED
    USING DRIFT SOCKS AND SEA ANCHORS TO CONTROL DRIFT
    BY GEORGE POVEROMO POSTED DECEMBER 7, 2015
    http://www.saltwatersportsman.com/controlling-fishing-boat-drift-sp...
    • Bruce Baxter > Darius Jack December 11, 2015 at 2:25pm
      30+ years of toy boats and dinghy size boats.
      As for full size recreational vessels, I live on a lake.

      We aren't going to control a oil tanker or a three mast schooner with a pixhawk running free software.

      This is going to be used by private parties on boats less than a hundred kilos and in most cases less than ten kilos.

      With the size of the vessel and skill of the operator, the waves produced by high wind would quickly become problematic and prevent usage.
    • Darius Jack > Bruce Baxter December 11, 2015 at 4:20pm

      Skyhook Digital Anchor == Sorry Bruce, the original request has been posted by @AntimatterCrusader and Skyhook Digital Anchor == https://mercurymarine-gsdesign1.netdna-ssl.com/media/filer_public/e...

    • David Boulanger > Darius Jack December 11, 2015 at 8:46am

      Deploying and retrieving a sea anchor on a remote vehicle is not the solution.

      Regards,

      David R. Boulanger

This reply was deleted.