Boat Shore-Arrival Control Using Shore Shape Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing boat shore arrival systems require high skill and are limited to specific harbors, making it difficult for inexperienced operators to safely and smoothly dock a boat at any harbor.
Innovation Solution
A boat equipped with sensors to detect shore arrival location shapes and positional relationships, and a controller to generate instruction signals for propulsion devices to automatically guide the boat to the shore arrival position, even in unspecified harbors, and correct for errors caused by wind or tidal currents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If automatic shore arrival control is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The boat system performs automatic shore arrival control by itself without requiring external assistance or complex manual operations. The control device autonomously processes sensor data, calculates shore arrival positions, and controls propulsion devices to achieve docking, making the system self-sufficient and easy to operate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical docking operations with an automated control system that uses sensors, processors, and electronic control of propulsion devices. This substitution of mechanical/manual operations with automated systems improves ease of operation while managing device complexity through integration.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system is designed for universal use in any harbor, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shore arrival control device is designed to operate in any harbor environment rather than being limited to specific pre-programmed locations. The system uses sensors to detect shore positions and calculates arrival points adaptively, making it universally applicable to different harbors and shore configurations without requiring location-specific programming.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts to different harbor environments by using real-time sensor data to detect shore positions and calculate appropriate arrival points. The control parameters and target positions are not fixed but are dynamically determined based on the specific environmental conditions and shore geometry encountered during each docking operation.
3Ease of operation
If the propulsion device automatically pushes the boat to the shore arrival location, then ease of operation is improved, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device continuously receives feedback from sensors about the boat's position, the shore location, and environmental conditions. Based on this feedback, the system calculates the optimal shore arrival position and automatically adjusts propulsion device commands to guide the boat accurately to the target location, maintaining ease of operation through closed-loop control.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device acts as an intermediary between the operator's docking intent and the propulsion device execution. It processes sensor information, calculates appropriate control parameters, and translates these into propulsion device commands, thereby simplifying the operator's task while managing the complexity of automatic control through a dedicated control layer.
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor detects a shape of a shore arrival location and a positional relationship of the shore arrival location and a boat body and outputs environment information indicating the shape of the shore arrival location and the positional relationship. A controller receives the environment information and generates an instruction signal to control a propulsion device to cause the boat body to move toward the shore arrival position set based on the environment information and to push the boat body to the shore arrival location.