AUTOMATION OF PAYLOAD CONTROL OF AN UNCREWED SURFACE BOAT FOR RESEARCH OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

The role of unmanned surface boats in the tasks of studying and using the marine environment and its protection from anthropogenic impact is shown. It is established that the list of payloads used from the board of such vessels in the study of the marine environment is expanding every year. This requires further development and improvement of automatic control systems for both unmanned vessels and control of their payload. Based on a systems approach to the tasks performed by unmanned surface boats, a classification of their payload from the standpoint of further automation is proposed and the feasibility of its placement in special electrified platforms – automatic containers of a special design is shown. A concept of modular autonomy is proposed for the research complex being created “Unmanned Surface Boat – Payload”, which provides for container transportation, storage and use of the payload. This makes it possible to unify the design of the boat’s deck equipment and algorithmic support for its automatic control system. The main structural components of an automatic container of a special design for deck transportation, storage and use of underwater vehicles have been developed, and a generalized algorithm for automatic control of such a container has been developed. The generalized algorithm provides for the automatic release of the underwater vehicle for mission performance and its automatic return to the boat. The main structural components of an automatic container for deck transportation, storage and use of a disposable unmanned copter-type aerial vehicle have been developed, and a generalized algorithm for automatic control of such a container has been developed. The features of the implementation of the concept of modular autonomy in payload automation are shown, which should take into account the control of the hydroclimatic conditions of its use and the need to build advanced sensor subsystems and a subsystem for automatic diagnostics of the equipment of an unmanned surface boat and its payload. The automatic control system is proposed to be built as a multi-level one, which includes a level of diagnostics of the technical condition of the boat equipment and payload, a level of deployment of the payload into working condition, a level of ensuring the use of the payload for its intended purpose, and a level of folding the reusable payload into its initial state.