RIDE, CAPTAIN, trip ABOARD YOUR ARDUINO-CONTROLLED AUTOPILOTED SAILBOAT

[Jack], a mechanical engineer, loom builder, as well as avid sailor desired an autopilot system for his 1983 Robert Perry Nordic 40 sailboat with a lot more contemporary abilities than the one it came with. He understood a PC-based option would work, however it was a bit out of reach. when his kid showed him an Arduino, though, he was on his way. He sallied forth as well as developed this Arduino-based autopilot system for his sloop, the Wile E. Coyote.

He’s utilizing two Arduino Megas. One is solely for the GPS, as well as the other controls whatever else. [Jack]’s autopilot has three modes. In the one he phone calls knob steering, a potentiometer drives the existing hydraulic pump, which he controls with a Polulu Qik serial DC motor controller. In compass steering mode, a Pololu IMU locks in the heading to steer (HTS).  GPS mode utilizes a predetermined waypoint, as well as sets the program to steer (CTS) to the exact same bearing as the waypoint.

[Jack]’s system likewise utilizes cross track error (XTE) modification to determine a new HTS when necessary. He has great documentation as well as a number of Fritzing as well as Arduino data offered on Dropbox.

Autopilot sailboat rigs need to be all popular ideal now. We just saw a different one back in November.

[Thanks Jeremy]