Charlie

an open USV for research cooperation

M. Caccia

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche

Istituto di Studi sui Sistemi Intelligenti per l’Automazione
Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genova, Italy
max@ge.issia.cnr.it

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

 Basic Questions

Which are the novelty and the

advantages of the Charlie platform?
The Charlie project can be seen as a
success story of a prototype robotic
vehicle able to support both marine
science and robotics research as well as
cooperation between different research
teams.

Which are the Charlie's keys to support

cooperation?

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

 Charlie USV

2003 – the Origin

SESAMO (Sea Surface Autonomous
Modular unit) project, funded by the Italian
National Programme of Research in
Antarctica
sampling of the sea surface micro-layer and
immediate sub-surface for studying the
ocean-atmosphere interface
Basic functional requirements
high capability in payload transportation
(Harvey-like cylinder + at least 60 litres of
storage for sampled water)
very low speed manoeuvring during the
sampling phase
avoiding sample pollution (remote operations
from support vessel + constraints on the
choice of the matter for constructing the
vessel hull and sampling devices)

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

 Technical characteristics
Fiberglass catamaran
Length: 2.40 m
Breadth: 1.70 m
Weight in air: 300 Kg
Speed: up to 2.0 m/s
Electric propulsion
2 DC motors for thrust
1 brushless motor for rudder (from 2005)
Communications
Wireless Ethernet link (high bandwidth)
Radio modem (safety)
Navigation
GPS Ashtech
Kvh Gyro compass
Inclinometers
Sensors
altimeter echo-sounder
anemometer

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

 Charlie USV

Light logistics is a key to success

Field robotics research basic requirement

execution of continuative field experiments for
collecting data and evaluating the
behaviour of the implemented algorithms in
a realistic unstructured environment
Ideal situation
possibility of executing trials without needing
resources external to the research group
itself
small research teams
a vehicle of reduced size and weight can be
easily transported and operated by a crew of
less than three people

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

 Charlie USV
Easily accessible test site is a key to success

Genova Prà harbour

regatta field
local recreational traffic basically
by fishermen and training
canoeists

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

 Hardware & Software
architecture
Basic requirement
embedded system supporting real-time
thread scheduling and communications
and the levels of a hierarchical control
architecture, including asynchronous
modules implementing potentially
unbounded search algorithms
free software and COTS hardware
standard GNU/Linux-based embedded real-
time system
cooperation with SME PC compatible boards
Single Board Computers
PC-104 modules

development of an embedded real-time

infrastructure for industrial automation and
robotics
marking machine Charlie USV architecture as a simple test
case
IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia
 Charlie USV

GNU/Linux-based software platform

is a key to success

development improvement
possibility of running the same code
available on the embeddd computer on a
generic PC and/or laptop connected to a
USV simulator
unique development tool for C++ and Java
(Eclipse)
performance improvement
transparent integration of the new real-time
properties of the Linux kernel
e.g. from Real Time Clock to High Resolution
Timers

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

 Charlie USV
Execution Control
management of conflicts &
dependencies on execution task
resources

Execution Controller is a key to success

Easy introduction of new NGC

algorithms and tasks
introducing a new algorithm requires
specifying the names of its I/O and state
variables and parameters
writing the C++ code implementing the task
semantics in a .cpp template

no need of an extended set of

if ... then ... else ...
clauses in the control system code
I/O variables are specified in a configuration
file
IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia
 Charlie USV
Real-time HIL simulation is a key to success

Real-time HIL simulation

in-lab fix of software bugs
in-lab tuning of NGC algorithm
parameters

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

 SESAMO project

SEa Surface Autonomous Modular unit

autonomous modular vessel for the study
and the characterisation of air-sea
interface
scientific end-user: CNR-IDPA
XIX Italian Expedition to Antarctica (January-
February 2004), M. Zucchelli station,
Ross Sea
more than 20 hours of operations
collected almost 100 l of both sea surface
microlayer and immediate sub-surface
water
PD heading control and LOS guidance are
sufficient for basic operations

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

 PRAI-FESR
Regione Liguria

Coastal & harbour anti-intrusion system

Feasibility study supported by the
development and testing of critical
technologies
partners: WASS, Sielco, Colmar, Graal Tech,
INGV, ENEA, ISME, CNR-ISMAR
USV operations in restricted waters (2005-
2007)
vehicle steering system upgrade
rudder integration
on-board sensor-based modeling and
identification
high precision navigation, guidance and
control

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

 ALANIS project

USV development
feasibility study of a multi-purpose
unmanned vessel for water and seabed
monitoring (UMV)
partners: Cantieri Mancini, Green Project,
GEM Elettronica
design and development of an ALuminum
Autonomous Navigator for Intelligent
Sampling (2007-'08)
preliminary field test and performance
evaluation of the ALANIS navigation
package

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

 CNR-CNRS
bilateral agreements

Laboratoire d'Informatique Robotique

Microélectronique de Montpellier
sensor-based guidance and control of
autonomous marine vehicles: path-
following and obstacle avoidance
(2006-2007)
nonlinear path-following guidance
techniques based on virtual target
following and back-stepping
Coordinated mission control for
autonomous marine vehicles (2008-
2009)
vehicle-following and coordinated path-
following guidance techniques

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

 University of Zagreb
cooperation

Laboratory for Underwater Systems and

Technologies
application of industrial automation
identification and control techniques to
underactuated USVs
design & implementation of fast tuning
guidance systems
self-oscillation based identification
auto-tuning I-PD heading control
auto-tuning line-following
CURE – Developing the Croatian
Underwater robotics Research potential
EC Coordination and support actions
REGPOT-2008-1
M.Caccia (CNR-ISSIA) participates as
international expert

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

 University of Salento
cooperation

Motion control for under-actuated USVs

under-actuation of the vehicle is explicitely
addressed when defining the error
variable
straight line following
generic path-following
Platforms & architectures for robotics
formation activities for post-graduated
students

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

 Italian
Hydrographic Institute

Field testing and performance

evaluation of navigation and
bathymetric sensors
GPS
echo-sounder
Multi-vehicle coordinated motion and
path-following
vehicle-following
coordinated path-following

Rapid Environmental Assessment

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

 University of Pisa
cooperation
Vehicle-following for USVs
Sliding-mode based vehicle-following
radio link

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

All this would not have been
possible without...

Human beings and their enthusiasm

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia

 Acknowledgements

Associazione Dilettanti Pesca Sportiva

Prà Sapello
Programma Nazionale di Ricerche in
Antartide
Regione Liguria PRAI-FESR
Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico della
Liguria
Italian Embassy in Zagreb
Ministry of Science, Education and
Sport of the Republic of Croatia
Italian Hydrographic Institute
CURE Project

IUST/IPSIT 2010, April 15th, Zagreb, Croatia