Movable Situation Awareness Sensor Module for Autonomous Ships and Control Method Thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a situational awareness sensor module (100) movably positioned along the outer perimeter of a ship and a method for controlling the same. The sensor module (100) is configured to move along the perimeter of the vessel using a moving rail or an existing guardrail vertical support pole (10) and a guardrail upper pole (20) as a moving path, and includes a sensor unit composed of a camera, radar, lidar, etc. In the event that a specific sensor module (100) fails during operation, a sensor module (100) that is provisionally placed at a specific location on the vessel moves to the location of failure to replace the function, and the faulty sensor module (100) moves to a maintenance-available location to be replaced or inspected. If the spare sensor module (100) is not present or is not in use, the adjacent normal sensor module (100) moves in the direction of failure and adjusts the field of view to minimize the monitoring gap. The sensor module control method includes an operation situation analysis step (S100), a sensor module movement control step (S200), a sensor module fixing step (S300), and a situation recognition detection step (S400). In addition, through the angle of view and recognition range adjustment step (S220), the position and placement of the sensor module (100) are automatically optimized without separate calibration even if the size or structure of the vessel changes. The moving part includes a driving part capable of position and speed control, and once the position of the sensor module (100) is determined, it is stably fixed through the locking part (500) so that accurate monitoring is possible even in a vibration environment. In addition, a movable jig (200) capable of utilizing existing guide rails (10, 20) is composed of an upper roller (300), a horizontal roller (400), and a lower open structure, allowing it to move continuously across the entire outer perimeter of the vessel. The present invention provides technical effects such as improved monitoring accuracy of autonomous vessels, rapid response to failures, minimization of monitoring gaps, and simplification of installation and calibration processes.

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