Boat Auto-Steering Disturbance Correction Using Camera and LiDAR
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Solution Overview
Problem
Boats are susceptible to external disturbances like tidal currents and winds during automatic steering, making it difficult to control the steering route set by the automatic docking mode, and existing systems that measure these disturbances directly can become complicated.
Innovation Solution
A system that predicts the effect of external disturbances on a boat by obtaining disturbance information such as flow direction, speed, and rotation direction without direct measurement from tidal current or wind sensors, using image information from cameras and lidar to determine displacement and compensate the steering route.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If direct measurement of external disturbance is used with tidal current sensor and wind sensor, then measurement precision of external disturbance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach by using image information from cameras and LiDAR as a mediator to indirectly measure external disturbance effects. Instead of directly measuring tidal current and wind with specialized sensors, the system captures image data of the boat's displacement and uses this as an intermediate representation to infer disturbance effects, thereby avoiding direct sensor installation while maintaining measurement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical sensor-based measurement system with an optical/image-based system. By substituting tidal current sensors and wind sensors with cameras and LiDAR, the system transforms physical measurement into optical field measurement, achieving disturbance detection without the mechanical complexity of traditional sensors
2Ease of operation
If automatic steering control is implemented without disturbance correction, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability of steering route control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring the boat's actual position through image information and comparing it with the planned steering route. The system calculates displacement caused by external disturbance and uses this feedback to generate correction commands, creating a closed-loop control system that automatically adjusts steering to maintain route accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by predicting the boat's future position based on current disturbance effects and proactively adjusting the steering route before the boat deviates significantly. The system calculates projected displacement and pre-compensates the steering commands, preventing rather than merely correcting errors
Data Source
AI summary
A system, adapted for correcting an effect of an external disturbance on a boat. The system includes a control unit including a processor configured to function as: a disturbance obtaining unit, that obtains disturbance information of the boat, the disturbance information of the boat including at least one of a flow direction of the boat, a flow speed of the boat, or a rotation direction of the boat while a propulsion unit of the boat is stopped; a switching unit, that switches a control mode of the control unit to an automatic driving mode; a setting unit, that sets a steering route of the automatic driving mode, wherein, when the control mode is switched to the automatic driving mode, the control unit controls an automatic steering of the boat based on the disturbance information of the boat and the steering route of the automatic driving mode.