aStrider

The prototype of the USV was built by ourselves and has served in the pontoon boat project as a carrier vehicle for sensors that are used for environmental detection above and below water. By means of a multi-beam sonar sensor and a highly accurate GPS, drivability information in unknown waters is to be obtained, which can later be used for other vessels such as the pontoon boat to enable autonomous driving or to assist the driver. The USV is powered by an outboard motor driven by a motor controller on an embedded computer. Steering is implemented via a powerful servo controlled by that comuter. It also offers a finroc interface, which also makes the USV available for testing already developed software for autonomous driving on the water. Thus, for example, it is possible to perform initial tests of the software even before the Ponoton boat is finally available. Due to its small size of 1.4m x 1.1m x 0.75m (LxWxH) and a weight of about 25 kg, it is easy to transport and ideally suited for spontaneous tests.