System Overview¶
INTCATCH Autonomous Boat System¶
The realization of an easy to use system that can be used by non-expert users is a key aspect of the INTCATCH project. In order to facilitate the boat deployment and the control of the boat, the current solutions for autonomous navigation have been optimized by realizing software modules to detect the status of the various systems connected with the boat and signal potential problems. This allows to have an easy to deploy system and a fast checking procedure before putting the boat into the water to detect if the system is running correctly.
Architecture of the System¶
The INTCATCH boat can be controlled in two different ways: #. with a Wi-Fi connected tablet; #. using a radio controlled (RC) controller.
The RC controller can be used when the user needs a direct control of the boat (e.g., for manually steering the boat). It works on a radio signal thus allowing for long range (up to 1 km) connection to the boat.
When operating in autonomous mode, a tablet with the Android operating system can be used to control the boat. The user can define a waypoint path on the tablet that the boat follows, navigating autonomously. The path generated by the Android tablet app is sent via wireless connection to the smartphone placed onboard.
An Android server runs on the smartphone, which is responsible for managing the localization (using the GPS receiver on the phone) and the logging of the data coming from the sensors for water quality monitoring (e.g., dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, and temperature). The smartphone is connected to an Arduino Due board via a USB connection. The e-board is a shield board for the Arduino and represents the interface between the high-level commands coming from the smartphone to the low-level commands going to the motors. The e-board can be connected to the RC receiver, to the BlueBox, and to other devices (e.g., a sampler).