Design of Hardware in the Loop System for Autonomous Ship Carrying Point Scan Sensor (Laser Measurement System)

Abstract

The main objective of the current work is to provide a method through which different control approaches and arrangement applied to autonomous ships carrying a sensor can be investigated and tested. To achieve this a hardware in the loop system was created. This system includes two models (ship model and sensor model). In the current work a sensor simulation algorithm was created and linked to Nomoto ship mathematical model. A Linear Quadratic Regulator is designed to control simulated ship model.

The proposed system was applied by a vb.net program to be as close as possible to industrial standard. The program was written as part of the research- to apply suggested simulation algorithm, ship control approach, suggested sensor evaluation and Hardware-in-the-loop system (input and output data through serial port).

The simulation algorithm was verified by in field sea trials on a 11m long yacht with two 250hp outboard engines. the sensor used is sick 218 laser measurement system as a sensor.

Results show that the IMU sensor error has a great effect on the Laser Measurement system processed data and hence environment detection quality. roll and pitch motion could decrease sensor efficiency dramatically