A programmable buoy system having one or more buoys capable of connecting through the Internet to a buoy command server. The buoy command server relays commands to each of the one or more buoys in response to user commands sent from a buoys command interface application on a mobile device. The programmable buoy system includes one or more buoys each having a hull with two or more pontoons where the hull has a top side and bottom side. A stationary rudder extends downward from the bottom side of the hull to be positioned in a body of water when the one or more buoys are in use. A motor is pivotably connected on each one or more buoys, wherein the motor has a propeller positioned away from the bottom side of the hull. The propeller and motor move the select one of the one or more buoys in the body of water.

A method for maintaining a marine vessel at a global position and/or heading includes receiving measurements related to vessel attitude and estimating water roughness conditions based on the measurements. A difference between the vessel's actual global position and the target global position and/or a difference between the vessel's actual heading and the target heading are determined. The method includes calculating a desired linear velocity based on the position difference and/or a desired rotational velocity based on the heading difference. The vessel's actual linear velocity and/or actual rotational velocity are filtered based on the roughness conditions. The method includes determining a difference between the desired linear velocity and the filtered actual linear velocity and/or a difference between the desired rotational velocity and the filtered actual rotational velocity. The method also includes calculating vessel movements that will minimize the linear velocity difference and/or rotational velocity difference and carrying out the calculated movements.

A method for controlling a course of a marine vessel powered by a marine engine as it moves in a body of water includes determining a current global position and a current heading of the vessel and initiating an auto-waypoint mode of a vessel course control system. In response to initiation of the auto-waypoint mode, the method includes setting a course for the vessel based on a current position of a steering wheel of the system and the vessel's current global position. The method thereafter includes automatically rotating a steerable component coupled to the vessel and rotatable to affect a direction of movement of the vessel so as to counteract external forces on the vessel and thereby to maintain the vessel's set course.

A system dynamically controls position of a mobile offshore drilling unit relative to a subsea operation, an offshore location, or the like. The system has navigation units, acoustic units, and inertial units. The navigation units obtain position from one or more satellite navigation systems, and the acoustic units obtains position from one or more acoustic positioning reference systems. The inertial units obtains position of the unit from one or more inertial navigation systems, and this inertial position for each unit is based at least in part on the positions obtained from respective ones of the navigation and acoustic units. A control unit in operable communication with the inertial units determines dynamic positioning information from the inertial position of at least one of the inertial units. In turn, the control unit then operates equipment on the drilling unit to control its position dynamically.

Controlling marine vessel: obtaining motion data related to the marine vessel; obtaining an operation state related to one or more apparatuses exerting force from the marine vessel to ambient water; detecting a disturbance in one or more degrees of freedom affecting the marine vessel based on the motion data; and determining control data for the one or more apparatuses exerting force to attenuate the detected disturbance.

Systems and methods for delivery of items to an unspecified location, such as a moving location, are described. The systems and methods utilize a location-finding device to identify a location of a location-disclosing device associated with ordered items, and notify the location-disclosing device when an automated delivery device is within a predetermined proximity in order to arrange a specific location for delivery of the ordered items.

A steering system (1) is employed in a ship to which left and right propulsors (2L, 2R) are attached. The steering system (1) includes a first input device (11) configured to receive an input of any one of a forward thrust parameter and a reverse thrust parameter of the propulsors, a second input device (15) configured to receive an input of the other of the forward thrust parameter and the reverse thrust parameter of the propulsors, and a controller (17) configured to reflect the forward thrust parameter and the reverse thrust parameter to the propulsors in real time. In the steering system, the first input device and the second input device receive the inputs in parallel when a steering pattern for a ship is set.

A system controls movement of a marine vessel near an object. The system includes a control module in signal communication with a marine propulsion system, a manually operable input device providing a signal representing a requested translation of the marine vessel, and a sensor providing a first distance between the vessel and a first point on the object and a second distance between the vessel and a second point on the object. The control module determines an actual angle between the vessel and the object based on the first distance and the second distance. In response to the signal representing the requested translation, the control module stores the actual angle between the vessel and the object as an initial angle and controls the marine propulsion system to produce thrust that will carry out the requested translation and that will maintain the initial angle.

A system for automatically determining a mooring direction or a berth approach direction of a boat. The system including a control unit including a processor. The control unit is configured to obtain image information, the image information including information of an other boat that is moored; identify a mooring direction of the other boat based on the image information; determine the mooring direction or the berth approach direction of the boat based on the mooring direction of the other boat, wherein the control unit determines an automatic mooring route of the boat based on the mooring direction or the berth approach direction of the boat, and the control unit outputs a control signal for controlling an automatic mooring of the boat.

The application relates to systems and techniques for remotely navigating a marine vessel. The systems can include a dynamic positioning system and/or a marine location management system for remotely navigating a marine vessel. The marine location management system can include a communication module for receiving a geographic location of the marine vessel and transmitting a navigation plan to a vessel control system. The marine location management system can also include a processor adapted to determine the geographical coordinates of the marine location and the marine vessel. In some cases, the marine vessel can include a thruster system adapted to receive the navigation plan and determine a set of thrust vectors based on the navigation plan.