In-Situ Modeling of a High-Speed Autonomous Surface Vessel

This paper focuses on the development of a test bed and methodology by which moderate-fidelity dynamics can be determined for a high-speed autonomous surface vessel (ASV). The dynamics of planing craft are understood, but closed-form models are not available for controller design, and existing high- fidelity simulators require a great deal of computation, making them impractical for reactive control systems. In this work, we demonstrate a navigation system, its calibration and subsequent use for in-situ testing of the displacement mode dynamics of a small ASV intended for planing operation. Initial results are given for roll, pitch and thrust models.