Explore the latest in autonomous vessels and marine research platforms.
By Dermot Tynan • February 11, 2023
PID controllers are one of the most widely used control algorithms in the control systems industry. They are simple, reliable and have a proven track record of delivering accurate control in a variety of applications. In this post, we'll discuss what PID controllers are, how they work, and why they are so popular.
By Dermot Tynan • March 28, 2022
I originally planned to build a lot of the electrical systems inside the hull, and mount the control electronics on a platform which would connect to the various systems. I quickly learnt that this wasn't going to survive contact with the Real World. I needed something more modular, something more watertight.
By Dermot Tynan • March 8, 2022
It's a little bit of a cliche, I admit, and I'm sure a lot of plumbers would object to the stereotype. But I can tell you it's true of network people. We end up with elaborate network configurations in our houses, which are never finished. VLANs for guests, VLANs for servers, multiple WiFi networks, firewalls, and so on. All just a few configuration steps away from perfection! I discovered that this is also true of robotic sailboats.
By Dermot Tynan • March 2, 2022
It's taken an incredibly long time, but Hull #2 is on the verge of being ready for some layers of chopped-strand mat and woven roving. The image above is of the inverted hull, still attached to the strongback. Some layers of thin balsa over ten or eleven stations, and then coated with West Systems filler and epoxy, and faired to a reasonably smooth surface.
By Dermot Tynan • March 16, 2021
One would think that a global pandemic would be a great opportunity to hunker down and get some work done on one or other robotic sailboats. Unfortunately, this hasn't turned out to be the case. I am still knee-deep in hull work on boat #2, the main entrant. However, due to lockdown restrictions, I can't physically access the hull and so it has spent most of the last twelve months, waiting for more sanding and filling (side note: never let anyone tell you that you can "fix it at the sanding/filling stage"). But it's not all bad news. The lockdown has been good for boat #1, the test vessel.