Final bachelor project

Project Rudder is a control device which communicates the intentions of an autonomous yacht to the captain. It communicates the intentions of an autonomous yacht by recreating the intended movement of the ship on a smaller scale. Project Rudder is placed in the bridge of an autonomous yacht up till 130 foot (40m). This also includes smaller recreational yachts with inexperienced captains. The exact placement of Project Rudder depends on the design of the bridge itself, but it is advised to place it within arm reach of the captain’s chair.

Project Rudder uses haptic feedback to inform the captain about the “next step”. This haptic feedback is created by a pneumatic driven stewart platform which can realistically recreate the movement of the ship on all three axis. Project Rudder can be activated by placing a detachable and ergonomic shape on top (“the key”) which transfers the haptic feedback to the hand of the captain. When activated you can place your hand on top and feel what the ship is doing. This additional haptic feedback will not only clarify the “next step”, but will moreover allow the captain to feel in control as he literally has the ship in his hands. Rudder angle and environmental factors like wind and current direction are visualized through the LED strip at the bottom resulting in a direct information source.

Key learning points:

- How origami can be used as inspiration for structural elements

- The construction of a Stewart platform

- Flexibility (due to the pandemic)

- How haptic and visual feedback could complement each other

- Deeper understanding of the controllers of a boat

- Shape exploration using different materials (e.g. floral foam)

- Coding with multiple servos using a PCA module / coding with LED-strips