Anaconda-2Anaconda-2(Continued from page 46)ist Brie Knox, boarded the AN-2 and zipped across the sel’s remote operational distance by improving com- collapsible seating, an optional trailer and truck; and water. Joshua Vaughan, ULL assistant professor of me- munication with the boat. They intend to re? ne the can be helicopter lifted. chanical engineering, piloted the vessel from his iPad. boat’s unmanned navigation system, using maritime It’s unknown when the AN-2 will be market-ready Vaughan, along with mechanical engineering grad and waterway standards, so that the craft recognizes but last year Swiftships and ULL had a three-to-? ve-students Nicholas Bergeron and Brett Marks, are part buoys, signal ? ags and other warnings and reacts to year framework for its completion.of the unmanned system’s development team. They’re them. Other steps in the AN-2’s development working with lasers, cameras, ultra-sound and other include deriving the boat’s governing equations sensors that gauge currents and waves to detect obsta- of motion; implementing sensor processing al-cles like logs in the water and oncoming boats. That gorithms; and software testing, Vaughan said. information will ? ow to a computer system that steers Shah said $100,000 is being spent on AN-2 re-and accelerates the AN-2, mimicking the activities of a search, with additional costs to be covered by human pilot. Swiftships.“Continued funding is up to the Swiftships AN-2’s Development Phases side,” Vaughan said. “But I feel the results of Last month, Vaughan discussed the project’s research, this project could have a signi? cant impact on hardware and performance steps or phases from the maritime operations. We think its potential is a university’s standpoint. “Phase 1 was the demonstrated strong argument for support from state and fed-ability, conducted on Feb. 18, to issue commands to the eral funding agencies.” boat’s controls – throttle, steering and clutches etc.,” Ramesh Kolluru, ULL interim vice president he said. “It was the simple remote control of the boat.” for research, said the public-private partnership Phase 2 involves trajectory tracking. “In this stage, between Swiftships and the university will pro-the Anaconda should be able to track simple pre-spec- duce a number of bene? ts. The AN-2 gives un-i? ed trajectories – a combination of lines and arcs – in dergrads and graduate students hands-on train-low wind/current conditions and in the absence of ob- ing, and Swiftships and ULL together will train stacles,” Vaughan said. “This phase demonstrates that workers on the Anaconda, contributing to labor we’re able to autonomously generate and track the ba- force development, he said. sic building blocks for more complex trajectories.” Eric Geibel, Swiftships special programs di-The ? rst two phases are early in the project. “Com- rector, said autonomous piloting has broad im-plexity increases exponentially after that,” Vaughan plications for the marine industry and noted that said. “Personnel and funding will need to increase as the company’s vessels are always on the fore-well.” In Phase 3 and beyond, “some primary goals front of technology.include extending the autonomy developed in Phase The Anaconda can operate in air temperatures 2 to include speeds approaching the limits of the Ana- above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. With ? ve weap-conda,” Vaughan said. Researchers will work on more ons stations and a foam-? lled structure, the ves-complex trajectories than in Phase 2 and will address sel can engage in riverine warfare and remain obstacle avoidance and high winds. a? oat, even if it’s pierced. The craft has an ad-Also in Phase 3, researchers plan to extend the ves- vanced-design bow ramp for cargo or personnel, Anaconda 2 builds off the autonomous success of CajunBot from the University of Louisiana Layfayette.Courtesy of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.www.marinelink.com 49MR #3 (42-49).indd 49 MR #3 (42-49).indd 49 3/4/2014 11:30:42 AM3/4/2014 11:30:42 AM