Design, Modeling, and Nonlinear Model Predictive Tracking Control of a Novel Autonomous Surface Vehicle

In this paper, we present the design, modeling, and real-time nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) of an autonomous robotic boat. The robot is easy to manufacture, highly maneuverable, and capable of accurate trajectory tracking in both indoor and outdoor environments. In particular, a cross type four-thruster configuration is proposed for the robotic boat to produce efficient holonomic motions. The robot prototype is rapidly 3D-printed and then sealed by adhering several layers of fiberglass. To achieve accurate tracking control, we formulate an NMPC strategy for the four-control-input boat with control input constraints, where the nonlinear dynamic model includes a Coriolis and centripetal matrix, the hydrodynamic added mass, and damping. By integrating “GPS” modules and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) into the robot, we demonstrate accurate trajectory tracking of the robotic boat along preplanned paths in both a swimming pool and a natural river. Furthermore, the code generation strategy employed in our paper yields a two order of magnitude improvement in the run time of the NMPC algorithm compared to similar systems. The robot is designed to form the basis for surface swarm robotics testbeds, on which collective algorithms for surface transportation and self-assembly of dynamic floating infrastructures can be assessed.