Does this mean you've got your hands on an RPi? My order seems to keep being put back - June they reckon now.
Strangely enough, about 17 years ago I was involved in something similar. We had a project to produce a sonar map of a harbour (which had sunken ships & other hazards). Our proposed solution was something a lot like this - but the technology wasn't cost effective at the time - so it was mapped using a full size boat and a lot of driving around with a GPS.
Rather than a traditional boat hull, we envisaged using something more jelly-bean shaped - hemispherical ends joined by a tube and using a flexible photovoltaic wrapped around the tube. In rough seas, capsizing is less of an issue. Propulsion was just to be two reversible water jets. In rough weather (detected with an accelerometer)- it's more efficient to go with the flow unless you get too close to land. In that case, you don't worry about 'steering', you just switch on the motors when you happen to be pointing in the direction you want to go - this is more efficient.
There was also tha fact that a Jelly Bean would look more like a stray buoy - so more likely to be ignored by boats. Something that looks like a model boat would be more likely to be 'adopted' by someone else!
We also wondered if you could generate enough power to run it by using a mass suspended on springs. As the swell moves the boat, the inertia of the mass would try to keep it in the same place. You use piezo's to generate power using the relative movement of the mass and the boat. This could potentially be cheaper than solar - and potentially allow it to run just below the water surface - again increasing it's security. This would also work just as well night and day - and best of all in stormy conditions - the opposite of solar. The combo of both would probably be ideal!
2003 M13 early KAP build.
3" Trailmaster lift with 1.5 Spacers on front
Customised winch bumper and roll cage
235/85R16 Maxxis Bighorns on 16" Rims, 4:1 Rocklobster, Rear ARB locker and on-board air
Corrected arms all-round, rear disks, Recaro seats and harnesses
very interesting simon, im not sure on the idea of wave generation. it had been suggested before but im not sure whether it would generate enough power compared to the additional weight it would need.
im looking at using ROV thrusters to drive the unit along they have high torque but relativley low power needs. ive just found one with a 2000 hour service interval too.
and do i have a raspberry pi? no not yet, but im expecting one in may.....
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