After six years, experts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) finally revealed their autonomous boats called “robo-boats.”
The robo-boats can transport people, collect trash, and assemble into floating structures. It also boasts the newest development in docking and latching technology.
This invention is a major win for garbage collection and water restoration. With the robo-boat, a congested Amsterdam also seeks to bring life back to its polluted waters.
The Robo-Boat Project: Roboat
Years ago, MIT and the Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS) Institute worked with each other on an autonomous boat project.
Co-funded by the City of Amsterdam, the Roboat project was first seen to bring back the function of the city canals. The robo-boat was the ideal solution for the city as it “save[s] time, costs and energy,” says Luis Mateos, first author, and researcher at MIT Senseable City Lab.
Almost 25 percent of Amsterdam is water. In fact, the city alone has 165 canals. However, overcrowding, noise, and pollution have made the city’s roads congested in recent years. Because of this, the city pushed for the revival of its waterways. This problem is also the reason why robot boats are much welcomed in the city.
Aside from its advanced features, the boat is also equipped with a “pop-up” structure that allows it to hold onto the surface along canal sides. This feature is vital as it makes it easier to dock and anchor. Units can also use their built-in sensors to gather data on the city, thus allowing boats to assess air and water quality.
The Tech Behind the Invention
The robo-boat is an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) that scientists worldwide have been building for a while. In fact, contests for these boats are held worldwide to solve naval and water-related issues.
The boats’ stand-out feature is their capability to latch on to each other. According to Daniela Rus, a co-author of the paper and director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), the mechanism is integral to creating the pop-up structures. These, in turn, form the building blocks to help the boats join and form one unit in the water.
Multiple computer codes serve as the control systems of the boats. The codes instruct the units to stay a meter apart at all times. Meanwhile, the same code allows them to communicate what to do.
In terms of hardware, the boats have ball and socket parts that look like a shuttlecock. This design helps the boat have a better grasp on each other while latching. As for its software, the boats run on high-tech vision and other advanced control techniques.
The boat uses an augmented reality tag called AprilTag – a tech that functions like a QR code – for its docking features. Meanwhile, it also helps the units to message each other about where they are and how far they are from other units
The Future of Robo-Boats
The authors are now building units that are almost four times bigger than the current version. Mateos is updating the boat to create tentacle-like grippers. This feature, he believes, will help stabilize the control and navigation of the boats.
While the robo-boat may sound like a robot boat toy name, its function is nothing but.
Mateos believes that the use of the latching mechanism on the boats can extend beyond naval means. Robot in-house charging, space docking, and inflight refueling are just some of the ways people can use this docking tech in the future.
Whatever the case, it seems to be a great potential for Amsterdam and other water bodies in the world. It’s also a massive step towards cleaner waterways as well as safer and smarter transport solutions.
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