autonomous surface vessel

My printer area is 250mm x 300 mm x 400mm. Maybe I could print it vertically in 2 o 3 parts. Do you know a small design that I could use?
I'm open to any option. The problem is my lack of knowledge about vessel design.

 

Sadly I don't, but a 1 meter R/C sailboat would be a place to start.
Can you reduce the amount of component weight?
Have you looked at the threads below?

 

There can be improved optimization if you design for one speed.
You have a target speed of 2 - 6 knots. That's pretty fast.
And can it go that speed all the time during the mission?

 

I think I've made a mistake on that. 1 m/seg is the normal speed for the kind of missions I've made (navigate autonomously, some depth survey, take some water samples)

 

1 m/s is ~2 knots. Slow.
The shape of your hull won't really make any difference in drag so long as it's long and skinny.
If I were in your shoes I'd look for an existing hull or shape one out of foam and epoxy/glass it.
Make cutouts during construction for your components.
Just like the R/C guys do.

 

Has your present vessel ever been stranded in the water because of hitting bottom, tangling with weeds, or other debris? How would you get it back if that did happen? Seems to me something without a keel or without a projecting underwater power leg would work best in the very shallow water from what I see from your video. Do you have to Wade out into the muddy water in order to place the boat? Myself would probably go for a simple very low draft single hull of some kind that could be pushed in and brought back from any point of the shallow water edges if possible. You can experiment with a piece of rope tied to bread box and some weights and their placement inside to see how it does, and then streamline that shape to get your finished more efficient hull.

Edit added PS: a very small streamlined foam child bodyboard is cheap at second hand store. A box could be mounted on top of that for experiments, and it could be cut down gradually to get the best displacement and shape. Also low-cost foam sheets are available at hobby shops or construction stores.

 

A longish contoured edges oval shape hull may be good enough, at such a low speed. But a low depth cylindrical shape with contoured edges at the perimeter on one side might be the most stable, and would only have a little more drag at low speeds, would be my guess. Don't know if turns and control with a cylindrical shape would be a takeaway, maybe could be done with a 360 degree swiveling motor, mounted at the center? If quick acceleration is needed, it might be a factor to consider.

Are Longer Kayaks Really Faster? | Guillemot Kayaks https://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/sea-kayak-recreational-kayak/petrel-play-petrel/are-longer-kayaks-really-faster?fbclid=IwAR2_2IYYTFuNvpSi4p0I4QVclTaaorowdczF8Mofk10dj9B9-S4hBY4UJtg

Basically a circular emergency life raft shape, which gives the biggest payload with the smallest length dimensions and the lowest draft plus the best stability with out a keel. Maybe cheap inflatable toy rafts of different shapes can be used to test the concept?

Hope this helps.

 

Hello, I'm sorry I have not time for posting my work.
Here you can find an album with some pictures of the ASV. It's working really good.

Thank