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Author Topic: Drone Boats  (Read 5654 times)

Z750Jay

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Drone Boats
« on: May 27, 2016, 10:18:05 am »


I have an idea to develop a drone boat that will be able to follow and respond to the actions of a lead boat. The idea is to have 2 or 3 of these drones following the lead boat so I can have a squadron of WW2 destroyers controlled by just one person. I hope to use a combination of Raspberry Pi and Arduino tec for this as the programming is within my abilities (I hope !) and the tec is fairly cheap.
Current thoughts are to have each boat sending out a telemetry feed which the others will use along with information about their proximity to respond. Each boat will have an Rx linked to the Lead boats Tx which will control a kill switch for the main power.

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2016, 11:53:07 am »

How will they know when they are near a bank? If they clone the movements of the lead ship, what happens when you do a 180? The last ship will now be the first - you could also cross your own line like in the bike duel in Tron.

This could be a lot more complicated than first impressions would suggest.
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g6swj

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #2 on: May 27, 2016, 11:55:15 am »

Sounds like a fun project - will track your progress with interest.

As Plastic says - I am sure it will come with a set of challenges which is all part of the fun  - finding solutions

Take heart with the famous (or not) phrase attributed to Edison - " I have not failed 1,000 times.  I have
successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb" - sure it will resonate further down the line...

Regards
Jonathan
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Z750Jay

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2016, 12:16:41 pm »

working out the programming will be interesting to say the least!


The whole idea came about as a 'is it possible' thought. As part of the Portsmouth Model Boat Display Team getting enough operators and boats can be an issue as we have lots of warships but few merchantmen. By having even 1 merchantman with out an operator would free up another body. The merchantmen are ideal for this as they do not have to move fast or change course abruptly, have a lot of space and stay in formation.


Initially the programming will literally be the remote boat copying the lead to explore the issues of how many Raspberry Pi's would be required, processing time and transfer of data etc.


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KevinM

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2016, 12:23:14 pm »

Interesting project, what system will you use something like the google cars GPS?
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Z750Jay

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2016, 12:27:16 pm »

The first stage is getting the boats to know where the other boats are.


Probably outfit two of my boats with a Pi or two and get them sensing something like motor temp and then transmitting it while receiving and recording the data from the other boat as a start. GPS boards are next after that and plotting where each other are.
I also have to explore how they are to detect other non drone boats.


If it was easy, it would have already been done :)
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Z750Jay

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2016, 12:27:59 pm »

There is a GPS board thats about £50
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unbuiltnautilus

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2016, 12:38:18 pm »

Watching intently...this could result in me having a lay in on a Sunday, AND not having to interact with humans all day....keep up the good work :-))
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g6swj

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2016, 12:43:42 pm »

Thoroughly recommend this GPS - it even has small amount of memory on board for data logging (I think every 15secs for 16 hours or something like that) <£40

https://www.adafruit.com/product/746
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dreadnought72

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2016, 12:52:56 pm »

Check out 'flocking' algorithms as a first port-of-call. The rules are easy. Tweaking 'em's the hard part.


Andy
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Z750Jay

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #10 on: May 27, 2016, 01:17:07 pm »

Lol, tweaking is a right pain. I was trying to make an Arduino based self leveling platform but just could net get the code to run smooth enough.
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Z750Jay

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2016, 01:18:16 pm »

And having a certain someone not interact with humans, ....... :-))
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unbuiltnautilus

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #12 on: May 27, 2016, 01:49:47 pm »

And having a certain someone not interact with humans, ....... :-))

My life's ambition.. %)
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J.beazley

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #13 on: May 27, 2016, 07:40:54 pm »

I can and have run 2 boats together from my transmitter independently, works very well no idea if i could link in more recievers but due to the cost of them im not even going to try  <:(


Jay
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Brian60

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #14 on: May 28, 2016, 06:31:40 pm »

Lol, tweaking is a right pain. I was trying to make an Arduino based self leveling platform but just could net get the code to run smooth enough.

Check youtube for camera gimbals then get the code from wherever they are using.

Z750Jay

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #15 on: May 28, 2016, 06:57:24 pm »

Check youtube for camera gimbals then get the code from wherever they are using.
I got the code for an Arduino but found that I could no get it to work properly. The Arduino could not process fast enough and I also encountered issues with the sensor I was using being way too sensitive. Might have another go using a Pi
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warspite

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #16 on: May 28, 2016, 08:13:14 pm »

Could you just do a timed delay response set up each boat is set of from the same location within a set time, the data it receives is based upon the settings of the first boats servo positions, your transmitter would be still linked to each boat to provide course corrections / trim to the rudder i.e. channel 1 and two for the lead boat, channel 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 for each of the following boats. speed is more trim-able from a different prospective. i.e. if number 4 is faster than the others in a straight line a potentiometer in the line or what ever they use now a days say a change in the pi or ardinuo program to reduce the revs.
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flashtwo

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #17 on: July 01, 2016, 06:24:09 pm »

Hi,

How about the lead boat with an Infra-Red source, perhaps a vertical array of IR LEDs omni-directional, and the following boats with a primitive IR "eye" akin to that of a nautilus (nautilus belauensis).

The eye could have a vertical slot rather than a pin-hole, since we are only operating in two dimensions.

The "eye" would have ring of sensors that could detect the source direction and with two "eyes" one could determine the distance (well the Dam Busters had a very simple distance device didn't they).

Once the control system has all the directional data, it would be a field day for applying what ever algorithm that best connects the data to the to the rudder. I'm saying this having had experience with my Voice Controlled navigation system for my Edwardian Steam Launch, where I could say "Figure of Eight" and the boat would steer a figure of eight course.

Each boat in the convoy would have "eyes" at the bridge and the Omni-directional source on the super-structure.

The IR source could even be pulse coded so that individual ships could be identified and ambient IR sources ignored.

Anyway, the world is your oyster (or nautilus). Food for thought!

Ian.
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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #18 on: July 01, 2016, 07:45:51 pm »

Hi,

How about the lead boat with an Infra-Red source, perhaps a vertical array of IR LEDs omni-directional, and the following boats with a primitive IR "eye" akin to that of a nautilus (nautilus belauensis).

The eye could have a vertical slot rather than a pin-hole, since we are only operating in two dimensions.

The "eye" would have ring of sensors that could detect the source direction and with two "eyes" one could determine the distance (well the Dam Busters had a very simple distance device didn't they).

Once the control system has all the directional data, it would be a field day for applying what ever algorithm that best connects the data to the to the rudder. I'm saying this having had experience with my Voice Controlled navigation system for my Edwardian Steam Launch, where I could say "Figure of Eight" and the boat would steer a figure of eight course.

Each boat in the convoy would have "eyes" at the bridge and the Omni-directional source on the super-structure.

The IR source could even be pulse coded so that individual ships could be identified and ambient IR sources ignored.

Anyway, the world is your oyster (or nautilus). Food for thought!

Ian.

That could all be done really simply with a few op-amps - completely analogue - with 2 detectors on the wings of the bridge, the angle between them gives range (parallel = full speed, cross eyed = too close so stop) so it's a simple servo circuit controls throttle and the difference between the rudder setting.
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flashtwo

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Re: Drone Boats
« Reply #19 on: July 01, 2016, 10:27:20 pm »

Hi,

Another thought.

How about adapting the WW2 German bombing aid known as the Lorenz system, viz:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenz_beam and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Beams

The lead boat transmitter could be a pair of IR LEDs separated by an optical screen/lenses with one sending the dots and the other the dashes.

The trailing boat receiver would be just a single IR detector linked through a relatively simple system to the rudder.

By having servo-rotated transmitters and receivers the trailing boat could run at on a parallel course with the receiver controller the boats speed.

With a transmitter on the lead boat’s bow and one on its stern, triangulation could be used to position the trailing boat at a distance controlled parallel course using both rudder and speed control.

Different pulse repetition rates could be assigned to the different boats to avoid confusion.

A whole series of triangulations could be taking place in the convoy to maintain the required sailing pattern.

Ian
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