Overview

As a part of the Theoretical & Applied Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, I manufactured and iterated on an autonomous sailboat, to eventually be a part of a drone swarm to conduct wave prediction.

Initial Prototype

The initial prototype was made using composite layups to create the fiberglass hulls and sails. Two rudders were controlled using a servo, and the main sail was rotated using a baby sail.

Iteration

The initial prototype had issues with controlled rotation of the mainsail and straight-line, point-to-point sailing.

To address this issue, I prototyped and implemented the actuation of the rudders and baby sail for a solid initial functioning prototype and water test. However, early testing revealed that high friction in the mast bearings prevented smooth actuation and control of the mainsail.

I redesigned the bearing housings to increase the spacing and stability of the mast. This successfully reduced friction enough to enable the smaller baby sail to rotate the mainsail into more optimal sailing orientations. Further testing and iteration led to improvements including rotation constraints and detent mechanisms for additional control.

Through component integration, prototyping, test stand experiments, and on-water trials, I was able to demonstrate reliable control over sailing direction by actuating the main sail with the baby sail system. These upgrades provide a more controllable foundation to facilitate future sensing, automation algorithms, and performance advancements toward an autonomous robotic sailing platform.

Ocean Drone Catamaran for TAFLab