The development of a robust Autonomous Surface Craft for deployment in harsh ocean environment

In this paper, a robust Autonomous Surface Craft (ASC) that is capable of operating in harsh ocean environments near the coastal waters of Newfoundland and Labrador is introduced. The reliable Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol is implemented to build the onboard communication and control system. As a distributed system, the time synchronization between different CAN nodes is resolved using the Time Reference Message (TRM). This ASC integrates a long-distance wireless modem for wireless data logging and supervisory command updates. In addition, a MATLAB based user interface is tentatively used as the ASC control and data display terminal on the dock-side computer. Full-scale resistance and self-propulsion tests are performed at the tow tank of Memorial University, and the drag coefficient and a bilinear thruster model are generated. The sea trials are performed at Holyrood Arm, Conception Bay, Newfoundland, for the validation of the tow tank experimental results.