Development and initial results of an autonomous sailing drone for oceanic research

This paper describes the ongoing development of Maribot Vane, an autonomous sailing vessel at the Maritime Robotics Laboratory of KTH, the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. There is an accelerating need for ocean sensing where autonomous vehicles can play a key role in assisting scientists with environmental monitoring and collecting oceanographic data. The purpose of Maribot Vane is to offer a sustainable alternative for these autonomous missions by using wind and an energy efficient self-steering mechanism. The rig is composed of a free-rotating wing fitted with a coupled control surface. A completely novel wind vane self-steering solution has been developed and is being evaluated. A key point in the development of the vessel is robustness, with a goal of being able to sail in open seas for long period of times. The paper discusses some key concepts, the development method and presents initial results of the new systems.