Final Project

My current idea for my final project is a RC Sailboat. I would like for the sail(s?) on the sailboat to trim themselves: if the sail is luffing, it should be trimmed and if the sail is too tight it should be eased. To control the sailboat, I plan to create my own controller that corresponds more closely to the behavior of sailboat controls. For example, I want to modify the joystick to instead have a tiller or steering wheel that controls the steering. The rest of the controls (sail trim, maybe sail shape) would also have intuitive mappings.

This is an example of a boat on a similar scale to what I would like to make.

Model Sailboat Resources

Recently, I went down a rabbit hole researching RC sailboats, because I have seen them racing in different places and wanted to see what information was available. As it turns out, there is a LOT.

https://www.amyaclubs.org/HomeImages/HowTo/1.pdf

wow: https://www.onemetre.net/Design/Design.htm

https://www.theamya.org/us-one-meter-construction.asp

http://www.bearospaceindustries.com/boats2.html

Project extensions:

• imu, compass, wind sensors → trim sails based off these

• make control simpler
  • heading → steering/sensing feedback loop
  • dashboard with info