G1500403 Variable-Structure Robot System for Underwater Investigation : Position control of a moored boat by twin rudders

Abstract

As part of the NEDO robot project, we are engaged in developing an underwater robot system, which investigates underwater infrastructure such as dams and river facilities. In this paper, we propose a surface boat system that can maintain its position on flowing water by changing its rudder angle. The surface boat is connected to a rope which is fixed at the river bank and the rudder angle is controlled using wireless technology to move the boat to the desired goal. Experiments are conducted in an indoor pool using a miniaturized boat and the results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.