Boat Position Control for Shore Arrival in Unfamiliar Harbors
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing boat shore arrival systems require high skill and are limited to specific harbors, making smooth shore arrival and trailer loading challenging, especially in unfamiliar environments due to the need for precise navigation and handling of external disturbances like tidal currents and wind.
Innovation Solution
A boat equipped with a propulsion device, positional sensor, and controller that calculates a second target position based on the current position and bearing, and adjusts for external disturbances, allowing for automatic navigation to a target position, facilitating easy shore arrival in any harbor and trailer loading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a shore arrival assistance device is used to guide boat arrival, then the boat can arrive at the shore with assistance, but the device can only be used in a specific harbor for which a locus is recorded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses GPS position information to create a digital representation of the boat's location and bearing, copying the essential navigation data needed for shore arrival without requiring pre-recorded harbor-specific loci. This allows the system to work in any harbor by simply obtaining current position data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the target position based on real-time parameters including current boat position, bearing to shore, and offset amounts. By changing these parameters adaptively rather than following fixed pre-recorded loci, the system achieves universal harbor applicability.
2Ease of operation
If the boat operator manually controls the boat to arrive at the shore, then the boat can be maneuvered, but high boat operating skill is required to bring the boat to the shore smoothly
Solution Approach 1:
The shore arrival assistance device automatically calculates the second target position and generates guidance instructions based on the boat's current position and bearing. The system serves itself by continuously monitoring position data and adjusting guidance without requiring skilled manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses real-time GPS position information as feedback to continuously update the bearing calculation and determine the appropriate second target position. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables automatic adjustment of navigation guidance.
3Measurement precision
If the boat moves precisely to the loading position for trailer loading, then the loading operation is facilitated, but high boat operating skill is required to achieve precise positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical navigation with an electronic calculation system that uses GPS position data and bearing information to automatically determine the precise second target position for trailer loading, eliminating the need for skilled manual positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
A positional sensor detects a current position and a current bearing of a boat body and outputs position information indicating the current position and the current bearing. A controller receives the position information. The controller determines a first target position of the boat body and a target bearing in the first target position. The controller calculates a bearing difference between the current bearing and the target bearing. The controller determines an offset amount of the first target position in response to the bearing difference or an outside disturbance. The controller determines a position spaced away by the offset amount from the first target position on a side toward the current position as a second target position. The controller generates an instruction signal to control a propulsion device so as to cause the boat body to arrive at the second target position.