Scientists from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and The Senseable City Lab, along with the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Urban Solutions (AMS Institute) in the Netherlands, have now created the final project in the self-navigating trilogy: A full-size, fully autonomous robotic ship, called "Roboat, "is ready to deploy along Amsterdam's canals.
Roboat has come a long way since the team first began prototyping small boats in a pool at MIT in late 2015. Last year, the team released a semi-scale midsize model, which is 2 meters long and demonstrates promising navigation capabilities. This year, two full-size robotic boats were rolled out that can comfortably carry up to five people, collect waste, deliver cargo, and provide on-demand infrastructure.
The "Roboat" looks futuristic, in a sleek combination of black and gray, with two seats facing each other and orange letters on either side showing the manufacturer's name. It's an all-electric boat with a battery the size of a small box that can run for up to 10 hours and has wireless charging.
Roboat now has greater accuracy and robustness in its perception, navigation and control systems, including new features such as a close approach mode for locking capabilities, and improved dynamic positioning so the ship can navigate real-world waters. Using GPS, the ship automatically determines A safe route from A to B, while constantly scanning the environment to avoid collisions with objects such as Bridges, columns and other vessels.
To autonomously determine a free path and avoid bumping into objects, Roboat uses lidar and a few cameras to achieve a 360-degree field of vision. These sensors, called "sensory kits," let Roboat know about its surroundings. When the perceptron spots an invisible object, such as a canoe, the algorithm marks the item as "unknown." When the team later looked at the data collected that day, the object was manually selected and could be labeled as a "canoe."
The control algorithms, similar to those used in self-driving cars, function a bit like a helmsman giving commands to a rower, turning a given path into instructions for "thrusters," propellers that help the boat move. Its locking mechanism is one of its most impressive features, with small cameras on board guiding it to docking stations or other ships when they detect a specific QR code. The system allows the Roboat to connect with other ships and docking stations, form temporary Bridges to ease traffic, and float stages and plazas, which were not possible in the last iteration.
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