Saildrone makes history

the google car is traveling on a known route...it is trained to navigate this route.

Thier is no known route at sea Their is no radar that can see thru waves

 

Actually, it is imo much easier to make an anti-collision guidance system in the open sea than on the roads. A combined input from the GPS, AIS, radar, sonar and an Infrared camera should be enough to deal with the huge majority of possible situations a drone could encounter. The low relative speeds and high relative distances between moving objects at the open sea allow for a much wider choice of anti-collision tactics than a car on the road can ever have.
No kids suddenly popping up on the road, running after the lost ball.
No wild animals jumping out of roadside bush.
No drivers in front of you suddenly slamming on the brakes.
No woman drivers.
No incoming cars on one side and pedestrian lines on the other.
and so on.

 

Not radar...on a low vessel radar is useless in a seaway. Your horizon it he wave in front of you

Not ais ...most craft in the world are not fitted and those fitted never pay attention to ais at sea..ais is coastal vhf traffic avoidance

Sonar is incredible power hungry , limited in range and very poor when dealing with aeriated surfaces.

Infrared signature cameras may work but have proven unreliable at sea when used on the ocean racers.

How will this drone generate enough electricity to power radar, ais, autopilot, and whatever gear.

At sea my radar is off standby to limit enegy use...and i carry one ton of batteries and charge with a diesel.

 

Since I made my post, I've read more about Saildrone's operations. They did indeed have an escort whenever they were in coastal waters, and they had the ability to automatically avoid AIS transmitting ships when on the open sea. They do take collision avoidance seriously and they were doing what was possible within the current state of the art to avoid collisions. The problem is the state of the art is not adequate, yet.

I still believe that collision avoidance is the most important technology that autonomous vehicle developers should be working on. As for single-handed sailors, they have frequently collided with fishing boats, ships, etc. We all admire their stamina and exploits, but they still have a responsibility to keep an adequate watch. When autonomous collision avoidance is developed, it will be as valuable to the single-handed sailor as is the autopilot.

And, yes, I do think a 400 lb Saildrone would damage my boat when colliding at 10 - 15 kt closing speed. I know it has a rubber bow bumper to help minimize the damage, but the chances of their wing hitting my beams is pretty high. A buckled strut would leave my boat seriously compromised.

 

If that 400# thing T-boned my boat at the waterline at 16 mph, I believe it would punch a fine hole and I would sink.

If I got back to shore, (possibly riding on the Saildrone) I would think it would be easy to sue whoever let it loose.

 

Regarding the reported post, it seems likely it was in response, as SamSam pointed out above, to your post directed at another member that "If you were out in your tri and hit a 400lb drone I'm sure you would be fine." Even if this was intended to be sincere, it's likely it was taken as an equally cavalier disregard for others' safety concerns. In any event, if this thread is to remain open, let's please try and respect one another's concerns and keep the thread on the ideas at hand and not go further with the jabs. Thanks.

 

I would suggest there are some interesting law of the sea questions here. IANAL so I can only speculate on them.

a) does this count as "discharging plastic overboard"? Particularly if one of these drones becomes disabled?

b) if there is a collision, does it simply count as flotsam? After all, one of the abandoned carbon racing tris was recently found still floating. they failed to salvage it, but if someone hit that, that hardly is the kind of liability you would "come find your house and burn it down".... ibid a shipping container that has been knocked overboard.

c) what if in fact it attempts to take evasive action but because they are middle of the ocean the cruising couple is down below enjoying connubial bliss and not keeping a watch out - and a collision still takes place?


NOTE BTW the FAA doesn't regulate all UAVs, just the flying kind

 

I'm not going to try sorting out everything in this thread and taking sides. But this is an emergent, evolving technology, and it isn't going to go away. I have little doubt that as it evolves, so will ways of handling the collision problem - no doubt by using more technology....

 

Good point Troy. Might I add though, that once past the prototypes are done with, there will always be a price point to any product and this kind of technology costs.

History shows us well that costly use of technology follows regulations... regulations ussually follow incidents. But only the ones that get into the public arena.