Marine Steering Control for Sunlight-Aware Camera Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated marine vessel navigation is challenged by sunlight entering the imaging field, leading to image quality deterioration and inappropriate operation.
Innovation Solution
A marine vessel steering control device that includes a determination unit to assess sunlight location within an imaging angular field, adjusting the vessel's traveling direction to avoid sunlight entry into the field, employing backlight avoidance and preventive measures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If automated vessel operation uses captured images for navigation, then automation capability is improved, but image quality deteriorates when sunlight enters the imaging field
Solution Approach 1:
The determination unit proactively detects sunlight position within the imaging angular field before it enters the reference angular field, and the vessel operation controller preemptively adjusts the traveling direction to prevent sunlight from entering the imaging field, thereby avoiding image quality deterioration before it occurs
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the position of sunlight relative to the imaging angular field using the determination unit, and based on this feedback information, the vessel operation controller dynamically adjusts the traveling direction to maintain optimal imaging conditions while enabling automated operation
2Manufacturing precision
If the vessel changes traveling direction to avoid sunlight, then image quality is improved, but navigation accuracy may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different control strategies to different situations: when sunlight is detected within the imaging angular field, the vessel operation controller adjusts traveling direction to move sunlight outside the reference angular field, but this adjustment is localized and minimal to preserve overall navigation accuracy while improving image quality
Data Source
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AI summary
A marine vessel steering control device including a first imaging unit that is fixed to a hull and captures an image of a subject; a vessel operation controller that performs automated vessel operation of the hull based on a captured image obtained by the first imaging unit; and a determination unit that determines, based on an imaging angular field of the first imaging unit, whether or not sunlight is located within a reference angular field defined as an angular field within the imaging angular field. In a case where the sunlight is located within the reference angular field, the vessel operation controller changes an actual traveling direction of the hull to an angle at which the sunlight is located outside the reference angular field.