Design of an Autonomous, Green Powered, Mobile Coastal Monitor

The mobile coastal monitor project is designed to research the state-of-the-art green power supplies and apply them as the propulsion and sensor power source for a highly efficient surface platform. The platform will be equipped with a modular sensor bay that is capable of housing a wide variety of atmospheric, air/sea interface, and sub-surface sensors suitable for a wide range of sensing operations from benthic and flora/fauna surveying, to pollutant mapping, to calibration and validation of space borne optical sensors. The platform will incorporate the latest unmanned vessel controls that conform to current Collision Regulations (COLREGS) and obstacle (surface and sub-surface) avoidance technology. This will be a clean sheet design as current autonomous surface vehicles either do not run on green power, or smaller battery, sail, or wave powered vehicles do not have the appropriate COLREGS / collision avoidance capability.