The common and predominant way for applications requiring continuously modulated control – like keeping the shiplet in stable submerged balance – is to use a so called proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller to calculate the actuators’ actions based on the input of the sensor data in a continuous loop. As described in the former post Cybernetic Marine[…]
It feels like a perfect match when you think that everything is going well while you are decorating a gallery space in Bergen called “Alt Går Bra” – Norwegian for “everything is going well”. Revisiting Piksel Festival after 8 years luckily we have a bit more to show these days than just vague ideas: Now[…]
A good lesson about failures of theoretical design and learning from practical research findings is when we observe that the shiplet won’t plunge when test-driving in open waters. After checking the software and many other possible reasons, it turns out the depth meter does not work. But it only fails when driving, what made it[…]
In April 1875 Sir Henry Bessemer launched the Bessemer Saloon Ship, an experimental Victorian cross-channel passenger paddle steamer, intended to combat seasickness with a swinging cabin, a concept devised by the engineer and inventor that he patented in December 1869. The cabin was designed to pivot independently of the ship’s hull, suspended on a system[…]
After 7 years of prototyping it feels almost a bit unreal when we suddenly start wondering what actually still needs to be done before the shiplet’s first test run on open waters. Besides continuous iterations of optimizing the code it looks like there is not so much left to do at the moment. Are we[…]
Our vision of a “sailing submarine” aka a sailing ship with a submerged hull requires a set of sensors and actuators to compensate the absence of stabilizing buoyancy, caused by minimizing the ship’s volume near the water surface. While the design is supposed to reduce the response to sea state and minimizes the stalling bow[…]
In free-style scale model prototyping one can daydream into that microcosm, where you can do miraculous pointy-headed things you could never do in full size reality. A good example for this is to use air balloons from the jamboree store to level and balance the shiplet’s position and mass distribution inside the tubular ballast tanks.[…]
Inspired by the DynaRig, designed in the 1960s by the German engineer Wilhelm Prölß, we decided to equip the shiplet with likewise sviveling, but static sails. We will use radio controlled servos to manually rotate the konvex profiles within our pivoted mast supports, also to test detrimental positions and situations. To start with, we use some[…]
Finally the shiplet got painted. Sincere thanks are given to Cadus for providing the space for the paint job and to Tuomo for providing the coloration. Now we are of course really eager, ney, we are thrilled, excited, super curious, on tenterhooks, … (!!!) to find out, if all our calculations and estimations about downforces[…]