Development of a full-size low price Automatic Survey Vessel (ASV) for hydroacoustic work

This thesis describes a pilot project for the development of an Automatic Survey Vessel (ASV) platform useful for hydroacoustic work. An inexpensive control unit, suitable for installation in an arbitrarily selected full-sized boat, has been developed. The control unit includes a motor control system, communication equipment, and a simple autopilot. This enables an operator to either remotely control the vessel during a survey or pre-program a route for the vessel to follow. Pre-programmed routes can be utilized to increase the efficiency of hydroacoustic surveys or to create complex driving patterns. The autopilot incorporates a GNSS-receiver and a self-developed tilt-compensated compass. The compass calculates the heading using sensor fusion from a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis magnetometer. The motor control system, the compass and the autopilot have all been tested in either controlled- or field environments