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The development and control of an autonomous sailboat
Van Tonder, J. R. 2025. The Development and Control of an Autonomous Sailboat. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/9c93b973-edf6-4442-95f0-44e551d83ead
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613976115806208 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Van Tonder, Johann Ruben |
| author2 | Versfeld, Jaco |
| author_browse | Van Tonder, Johann Ruben Versfeld, Jaco |
| author_facet | Versfeld, Jaco Van Tonder, Johann Ruben |
| author_sort | Van Tonder, Johann Ruben |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Van Tonder, J. R. 2025. The Development and Control of an Autonomous Sailboat. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/9c93b973-edf6-4442-95f0-44e551d83ead |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132334 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:41.678Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132334 The development and control of an autonomous sailboat Van Tonder, Johann Ruben Versfeld, Jaco Engelbrecht, Japie Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Sailboats -- Hydrodynamics Motion control devices Automated vehicles -- Automatic control Locomotive industry -- Automation UCTD Van Tonder, J. R. 2025. The Development and Control of an Autonomous Sailboat. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/9c93b973-edf6-4442-95f0-44e551d83ead Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis presents the development and validation of a simulation model for the Dragonflite 95 sailboat, and the design, implementation, and practical testing of a sailboat control system. The control system consists of a motion and guidance control system. The Dragonflite 95 was selected due to its widespread popularity in the sailboat racing community. A detailed simulation model was created to capture the primary dynamics of the sailboat. Techniques were developed for determining the sailboat parameters, utilizing both numerical methods and practical system identification tests. The accuracy of the simulated sailboat was evaluated by performing tests on the physical sailboat and the simulated sailboat comparing the yaw, roll, and surge dynamics. The motion control system is responsible for steering the sailboat in the desired direction and generating propulsion by adjusting the sail angle. The guidance control system includes two waypoint scheduling methods, two path-following controllers (a cross-path controller and a tacking controller), and a sailing mode state machine. These components enable the sailboat to navigate between waypoints and sail predefined courses. The control system was initially designed and tested in Simulink before being implemented on the Ardupilot autopilot software. Software-in-the-loop simulations were performed using the Ardupilot software to verify the control system’s performance with the simulation model. The physical sailboat platform was constructed using commercially available hardware and open-source software. The hardware was integrated into the sailboat, and a base station, along with a weather station, was developed to monitor the sailboat and the environment during tests. Practical tests were conducted to validate the control software on the physical sailboat. The developed simulation model accurately captures the dominant dynamics of the physical sailboat and the designed control systems proved effective in steering, generating propulsion, and navigating the sailboat. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis bied die ontwikkeling en validering van ’n simulasie-model vir die Dragonflite 95 seilboot, en die ontwerp, implementering en praktiese toetsing van ’n seilbootbeheerstelsel aan. Die beheerstelsel bestaan uit ’n bewegings- en leidingbeheerstelsel. Die Dragonflite 95 is gekies weens sy wydverspreide gewildheid in die seilbootrenne-gemeenskap. ’n Gedetailleerde simulasie-model is geskep om die primêre dinamika van die seilboot vas te vang. Tegnieke is ontwikkel om die seilbootparameters te bepaal, deur beide numeriese metodes en praktiese stelselidentifikasietoetse te gebruik. Die akkuraatheid van die gesimuleerde seilboot is geëvalueer deur toetse op die fisiese seilboot en die gesimuleerde seilboot uit te voer en die gaap, rol en oplewing dinamika te vergelyk. Die bewegingsbeheerstelsel is verantwoordelik vir die stuur van die seilboot in die gewenste rigting en die opwekking van aandrywing deur die seilhoek aan te pas. Die leidingbeheerstelsel sluit twee wegpunte-skeduleringsmetodes, twee padvolgbeheerders (’n kruis-padbeheerder en ’n aanpak-beheerder), en ’n seilmodus-toestandmasjien in. Hierdie komponente stel die seilboot in staat om tussen wegpunte te navigeer en voorafbepaalde roetes te seil. Die beheerstelsel is aanvanklik in Simulink ontwerp en getoets voordat dit in die Ardupilot-outomaat sagteware geïmplementeer is. Sagteware-in-die-lus simulasies is uitgevoer met behulp van die Ardupilotsagteware om die beheerstelsel se prestasie met die simulasie-model te verifieer. Die fisiese seilbootplatform is gebou met kommersieel beskikbare hardeware en oopbron sagteware. Die hardeware is in die seilboot geïntegreer, en ’n basisstasie, saam met ’n weerstasie, is ontwikkel om die seilboot en die omgewing tydens toetse te monitor. Praktiese toetse is uitgevoer om die beheersagteware op die fisiese seilboot te valideer. Die ontwikkelde simulasie-model vang die dominante dinamika van die fisiese seilboot akkuraat vas en die ontwerpte beheerstelsels het effektief bewys in die stuur, opwekking van aandrywing en navigasie van die seilboot. Masters 2025-06-04T07:38:38Z 2025-06-04T07:38:38Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132334 en Stellenbosch University xxi, 137 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Sailboats -- Hydrodynamics Motion control devices Automated vehicles -- Automatic control Locomotive industry -- Automation UCTD Van Tonder, Johann Ruben The development and control of an autonomous sailboat |
| title | The development and control of an autonomous sailboat |
| title_full | The development and control of an autonomous sailboat |
| title_fullStr | The development and control of an autonomous sailboat |
| title_full_unstemmed | The development and control of an autonomous sailboat |
| title_short | The development and control of an autonomous sailboat |
| title_sort | development and control of an autonomous sailboat |
| topic | Sailboats -- Hydrodynamics Motion control devices Automated vehicles -- Automatic control Locomotive industry -- Automation UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132334 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vantonderjohannruben thedevelopmentandcontrolofanautonomoussailboat AT vantonderjohannruben developmentandcontrolofanautonomoussailboat |