Autonomous GPS-Based Marine Search and Rescue Vehicleusers.wpi.edu/~rjduck/Marine GPS Search and...

Autonomous GPS-Based Marine

Search and Rescue Vehicle

Alex Kindle

Justin Stocker

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Department of Electrical and Computer EngineeringDepartment of Robotics Engineering

Advisor:

R. James DuckworthCo-Advisor:

David Cyganski

Overview

• Project motivation

• Background material

• Robot functional overview

– Design requirements

– The vehicle

– System electronics

– Onboard sensors

– Software implementation

• Video demonstration of robot

• Results and Recommendations 2

Project Motivation

• Establish a need: search and rescue

• How will the project fill this need?

• Time and budget constraints

• Leave room for future expansion

– Allow room for additional functionality

– Provide recommendations for future work

3

Background

• Existing MOBI Systems

– ORCA MOBI

– Sci-Tech MOB

Tracking System

– SeaMarshall AU9

• Commonalities

with our design 4

Project Requirements

• Autonomous operation

• GPS-based navigation

• Victim Rescue

5

Mothership

Rescue Boat

Victim

Victim Unit

System Overview

6

Rescue Vehicle

MCUMCU

WirelessWireless

GPSGPS

Victim Unit

WirelessWireless

GUIGUI

Navigation

Software

Navigation

Software

Mothership

Rescue Vehicle Chassis

• Requirements

– Ease of interfacing

• Standardized parts

• Purchasing vs. building

– Focus on ECE aspects of design

• AquaCraft Mini Rio

7

Stock RC unit - Removed

Steering ServoControlled by Development board

Rescue Vehicle Control

• Development board

– ATMega2560 CPU

– Servo headers

– Timer IO broken out

• H-Bridge daughterboard

8

WirelessWireless

GPSGPS

ServoServo

H-BridgeH-Bridge

RuddersRudders

MotorMotor

Development BoardDevelopment Board

UART0UART0

UART1UART1

Timer1Timer1

Timer2Timer2

Victim Unit

• Custom PCB

– ATMega164 CPU

– Power circuitry

– GPS module

– Wireless module

9

GPS

Receiver

Wireless

Radio

CPU

Victim Unit Top

Victim Unit Bottom

1 inch

Navigation Software

• Host software

– Java

– Graphical interface

– Navigation control loop

10

Serial PortSerial Port

Rescue Vehicle

Stream

Rescue Vehicle

StreamVictim StreamVictim Stream

Navigation

Handler

Navigation

Handler

Rescue

Vehicle

Comm

Rescue

Vehicle

Comm

DisplayDisplay

GPS Serial Parser

Rescue

Vehicle

Rescue

Vehicle

MothershipRescue Vehicle GPS

Victim GPS

Rescue Vehicle Commands

Full Rescue Scenario

11

Video Demonstration

12

Demonstration Results

13

Results & Recommendations

• Successfully completed design goals

– Autonomous operation

– GPS-based navigation

– Victim rescue

• Suggestions for future work

– Full-scale implementation

– Physically aiding the victim

– Close-proximity localization

• VOR

• Ultrasonic

14

Acknowledgements

Thanks to:

• Professors Duckworth and Cyganski

• ECE Shop

• Robotics staff

• WPI Department of Electrical and Computer

Engineering

• WPI Department of Robotics Engineering

• Andy Stocker, Film Editor Extraordinaire 15

Questions?

16