Sensor subsystem design for small unmanned surface vehicle

Abstract

Abstract The construction of unmanned vehicles is a major trend in a modern robotics and automation. One of the promising branches is the development of unmanned boats and surface vehicles (USV). They possess the great variety of possible applications, including environmental studies, military and security issues. In this paper, we consider the design and rapid prototyping of sensory subsystem for small-sized USV. The proposed sensor system incorporates the lidar, Doppler radar rangefinder and video camera in a waterproof housing. The housing is made with additive technology and provides the efficient and rigid placement of chosen set of sensors. The circuitry and design of the sensory subsystem are given and discussed in comparison with existing solution. The prototype of the system is described and the results of its experimental testing are provided.