B63B2035/007

USV FORMATION PATH-FOLLOWING METHOD BASED ON DEEP REINFORCEMENT LEARNING
20220004191 · 2022-01-06 · ·

The invention discloses an unmanned surface vessel (USV) formation path-following method based on deep reinforcement learning, which includes USV navigation environment exploration, reward function design, formation pattern keeping, a random braking mechanism and path following, wherein the USV navigation environment exploration is realized adopting simultaneous exploration by multiple underactuated USVs to extract environmental information, the reward function design includes the design of a formation pattern composition and a path following error, the path following controls USVs to move along a preset path by a leader-follower formation control strategy, and path following of all USVs in a formation is realized by constantly updating positions of the USVs. The invention accelerates the training of a USV path point following model through a collaborative exploration strategy, and combines the collaborative exploration strategy with the leader-follower formation control strategy to form the USV formation path following algorithm.

AUTONOMOUS OCEAN DATA COLLECTION
20210339837 · 2021-11-04 · ·

A system for autonomous ocean data collection includes at least one sensor capable of collecting sensor data, at least one transmission device, and at least one computing device comprising one or more hardware processors and memory coupled to the one or more hardware processors, the memory storing one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more hardware processors, cause the at least one computing device to generate data for transmission based on the sensor data collected by the at least one sensor, and cause the at least one transmission device to transmit the data.

System for fresh water supply using desalination vessel and autonomous navigation vessel

The present disclosure relates to a system for fresh water supply using a desalination vessel and an autonomous navigation vessel, and more particularly, to a system for fresh water supply using a desalination vessel and an autonomous navigation vessel capable of, in providing fresh water to a plurality of islands using a vessel equipped with a desalination apparatus and an autonomous navigation vessel, setting an optimal fresh water supply route in consideration of the fresh water retention status of islands, location information of islands, and fresh water requirement amount for each route, and based on this, supplying fresh water to each of the islands, thereby minimizing the operation cost of the vessels and stably providing fresh water to the islands requiring fresh water, and the system for fresh water supply using a desalination vessel.

Solar-powered autonomous robotic water surface maintenance and cleaning system

The present invention describes a water surface maintenance and cleaning system which comprises a home base station and a plurality of cleaning robot. The home station is either fixed on the water bank or floating on the water surface as an island. The home station serves as a charging station and trash collection station. The home base station is covered with solar PV panels and the PV panels convert the sunlight into electricity and then store the electricity into the batteries. The self-driving cleaning robot boat, which floats on water surface and drives around and sweeps the water surface. While sweeping across the water surface, the robot boat which is equipped with motor, rotors, pumps, nets, containers, etc. can intake water and filter out trashes and any other environmental unfriendly substances such as plastic bottles, cans, leaves, algae, plants, bio-films, and oil/grease.

Autonomous plastic collecting robot
11772753 · 2023-10-03 ·

A method, system, and apparatus for collecting waste. In one embodiment, an autonomous plastic collecting robot (APCR) device for collecting waste may include a net structure that picks up micro plastic particles dispersed in water; a tube that transports the micro plastics collected by the net structure into a main internal container; an artificial tongue for collecting larger plastics, the artificial tongue comprised of a rolling staircase with fork-like structures in placed of the stairs; a plastic degrading medium contained in the main internal container; a no-joint tail structure which acts as the primary power source for the APCR, the no-joint tail structure housing dielectric elastomer materials and a rotation shaft located between at least two electric generators.

AUTOMATIC SAIL DEPOWERING AND CAMBER CONTROL
20230278687 · 2023-09-07 ·

An autonomous sailing vessel may include a hull, a mast, a sail, and a sail release device. The mast may be mechanically coupled to the hull. The sail may be mechanically coupled to the mast. The sail release device may be operably coupled to the sail and may be configured to automatically release the sail to spill excess wind. Alternatively or additionally, the sail may include a fore sail element coupled to the mast and an aft sail element rotatably coupled at a fore of the aft sail element to an aft of the fore sail element. In this and other embodiments, the autonomous sailing vessel may further include a camber control assembly to automatically set a camber angle between the fore and aft sail elements.

Underwater robot water quality data acquisition device and control method thereof

A novel underwater robot water quality data acquisition device includes a casing, a thruster group, an upper cabin, a lower cabin, a buoy cabin, an upper cabin tray, a lower cabin tray, a power supply assembly, a power conditioning module, a data acquisition control module, a water quality sensor assembly, and a wireless Internet of Things (IoT) module. The device can convert the power supply voltage required by each other module through the power management module. The data acquisition control module transmits signals to the water quality sensor assembly in a set timing sequence, performs real-time reading and processing of water quality data fed back from the sensor, and uploads the processed water quality data to the data platform through the wireless IoT module, thereby achieving the display and preservation of water quality data.

Self-righting trimaran

A trimaran which includes a self-righting structure positioned near the stern that substantially raises the center of buoyancy. The trimarans two peripheral hulls are shorter than the main hull and positioned near the one end to create an unstable inverted environment wherein when inverted the vessel rests primarily on the self-righting structure and an end of the main hull, substantially raising the center of gravity and creating an unstable configuration. This causes a pitch or roll about the vessel's longitudinal axis, which continues until the vessel has returned to its more stable upright position resting on three hulls.

FLOATING VERTICAL WIND PROFILE SENSOR DEVICE AND METHOD OF DETERMINING A VERTICAL WIND PROFILE

Floating vertical wind profile sensor or LiDAR device (1) comprising a vertical wind profile sensor sensor (8) for sensing a vertical wind profile, a self-propulsion system (24) for propelling the device through a body of water, and a deployable special mark (10), actuatable to switch between a deployed state for identifying the device as a special marker buoy and an undeployed state for identifying the device as a vessel. A controller (22) is provided for switching the device (1) from a vessel mode to a buoy mode when the vessel is anchored. The controller (22) switches the special mark (10) to the deployed state when the device (1) is in the buoy mode. The method involves the floating LiDAR device (1) navigating to a target location and the buoy mode being activated while vertical wind profile data are collected.

UNMANNED SAILING VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM
20230348033 · 2023-11-02 · ·

An unmanned sailing vehicle comprising: a primary hull; a rigid wing rotationally coupled with said primary hull that freely rotates about a rotational axis of said rigid wing; a boom comprising a first end extending from a leading edge of said rigid wing and a second end extending from a trailing edge of said rigid wing, said first end of said boom comprising a counterweight configured to dynamically balance a wing system comprising said rigid wing, said boom, and said tail with respect to said rotational axis of said rigid wing; a tail coupled to said second end of said boom; a control surface element disposed on said tail and configured to aerodynamically control a wing angle of said rigid wing based on a position of said control surface element; and a controller configured to determine a control surface angle and generate a signal to position said control surface element.