1 - BotSwain, Robotic Coxswain Behavior for High Sea-State Navigation

The control system of an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) needs to weigh mission accomplishment against potential damage from high seas. Once in a high-seas situation, the best immediate course and speed to minimize vessel motions may not coincide with the best path away from the storm. The USV needs a maneuvering storm avoidance and in-storm maneuvering behaviors that balance overall mission accomplishment, immediate avoidance of excessive motions, and longer-term maneuvering away from projected high-seas areas. Therefore, FTL Labs Corporation (FTL) proposes a powerful new enabling technology for USV navigation using sensing and machine learning (ML). FTL's “BotSwain (Robotic Coxswain)” emulates the behavior of an expert human coxswain, not only perceiving the dynamic wave field, but also anticipating wave motion to optimize a vessel's navigation path. It harnesses modern 3D wave sensing technology alongside powerful wave field reconstruction and robot navigation concepts based on established machine learning research developed at FTL.