A method to control a marine vessel comprising two or more drive units. The method involves registering an operating command indicating a requested sideways or bow bollard push function; detecting a current vessel position; registering the current vessel position as a desired vessel position; executing the requested bollard push function; and monitoring the current vessel position in order to detect a deviation relative to the desired vessel position. If it is detected that a deviation between the desired vessel position has exceeded a predetermined value, then the requested bollard push function is deactivated. The disclosure further relates to a control unit arranged to control a marine vessel and a marine vessel comprising such a control unit.

A marine vessel includes a marine vessel propulsion control system including a display and a controller configured or programmed to control movement of the marine vessel and to execute fixed point holding control to restrict movement of the marine vessel to keep the marine vessel at a predetermined position. When a target position is newly set during the fixed point holding control, the controller is configured or programmed to move the marine vessel to the target position. The display is operable to display a remaining distance as the marine vessel is moving to the target position. The controller is configured or programmed to change, according to a movement state of the marine vessel, a thrust level to be generated by a propulsion device during the fixed point holding control.

A system for maintaining a marine vessel in a body of water at a selected position and orientation includes a global positioning system that determines a global position and heading of the vessel and a proximity sensor that determines a relative position and bearing of the vessel with respect to an object near the vessel. A controller operable in a station keeping mode is in signal communication with the GPS and the proximity sensor. The controller chooses between using global position and heading data from the GPS and relative position and bearing data from the proximity sensor to determine if the vessel has moved from the selected position and orientation. The controller calculates thrust commands required to return the vessel to the selected position and orientation and outputs the thrust commands to a marine propulsion system, which uses the thrust commands to reposition the vessel.

A control unit for controlling a marine vessel to avoid an emergency situation, the control unit comprising processing circuitry and a storage medium, wherein the control unit is configured to receive path data from one or more sensor devices indicative of a path traveled by the marine vessel in a forward direction and to store the received path data by the storage medium, characterized in that the control unit is configured to receive a trigger signal from an input device, and, in response to the trigger signal, determine a location for turning the vessel around, navigating to the location, turning the vessel around at the location, and navigating the vessel along the path in reverse direction.

An aquatic vessel comprising a control system for controlling the position of the vessel, the control system including one or more inputs for receiving real-time operational data in relation to flow conditions of the aquatic environment. The vessel has a dynamic positioning system and a navigational system connected to the dynamic positioning system, the navigational system comprising a data processing device and a plurality of motion sensors for continuously calculating the position, orientation and velocity of the vessel. Furthermore, a data processing device for generating data in relation to a plurality of possible failures of parts of the vessel is included, the data processing device being in communication with the control system which is thereby able to react in the event of an actual failure of a part of the vessel.

A method of controlling a propulsion system on a marine vessel includes receiving proximity measurements describing locations of one or more objects with respect to the marine vessel, receiving a command vector instructing magnitude and direction for propulsion of the marine vessel with respect to a point of navigation for the marine vessel, and then determining a funnel boundary based on the command vector. An object is identified based on the proximity measurements and determined to be within the funnel boundary, and then a propulsion adjustment command is calculated based on the command vector and an angle of the object with respect to the point of navigation. At least one propulsion device is then controlled based on the propulsion adjustment command in order to avoid the object.

Systems and methods for determining if a vessel is experiencing a drive-off event, identifying a subsystem causing the drive-off event, and controlling a vessel to correct the drive-off event are disclosed. The determining may include processing, with a processor of the dynamic positioning control system, a modeled vessel motion and a measured vessel motion to determine whether there is a discrepancy between the modeled vessel motion and the measured vessel motion. The dynamic positioning (DP) control system may then take action to control vessel motion based, at least in part, on the processing of the modeled vessel motion and the measured vessel motion.

Disclosed is a system and method for static and dynamic positioning or motion control of a marine structure by using real-time monitoring of at least one of a mooring line, marine environments, 6-dof movement of a marine structure, a tank state, a ship topside, the seabed, or their combinations. The static and dynamic real-time monitoring data of the mooring line is obtained and processed for positioning the marine structure or controlling and managing a motion thereof. Here, 1) a tension of a mooring line is measured by means of real-time monitoring of the mooring line, 2) various marine environment elements such as wind direction, wind speed, air humidity, atmospheric pressure, atmosphere temperature, cloud height, visibility, ocean wave, wave height, sea current speed, sea current direction, rain or the like are measured by means of real-time monitoring of the marine environments, 3) 6-dof movement of the marine structure is measured by means of real-time monitoring of the marine structure, 4) ullage and sloshing data of various tanks in the marine structure are measured by means of real-time monitoring of tank states, 5) damage and life of pipes, facilities or the like located at a ship topside of the marine structure are measured by means of real-time monitoring of the ship topside, 6) damage and life of umbilical cables, pipes, pumps and valves located on the seabed are measured by means of real-time monitoring of the seabed, and suitable static and dynamic positioning or motion control and management may be automatically performed based thereon.

An autonomous pool cleaner includes a main body, a filter that is removably coupled to the main body, and an edge engagement assembly. The main body includes a top, a bottom, and one or more peripheral walls that extend between the top and the bottom. The filter is accessible for removal or installation via a particular peripheral wall of the one or more peripheral walls. The edge engagement assembly is configured to extend beyond the particular peripheral wall of the main body and removably secure the autonomous pool cleaner to an edge of a swimming pool so that the filter is accessible and vertically removable when the autonomous pool cleaner is secured to the edge.

A catamaran lifting apparatus is disclosed for lifting objects in a marine environment. The apparatus includes first and second vessels that are spaced apart during use. A first frame spans between the vessels. A second frame spans between the vessels. The frames are spaced apart and connected to the vessels in a configuration that spaces the vessels apart. The first frame connects to the first vessel with a universal joint and to the second vessel with a hinged connection. The second frame connects to the second vessel with a universal joint and to the first vessel with a hinged or pinned connection. Each of the frames provides a space under the frame and in between the barges that enables a package to be lifted and/or a marine vessel to be positioned in between the barges and under the frames. In this fashion, an object that has been salvaged from the seabed can be placed upon the marine vessel that is positioned in between the barges and under the frames.