Design and Implementation of a Low-Cost Intelligent Unmanned Surface Vehicle

This article describes the design and construction journey of a self-developed unmanned surface vehicle (USV). In order to increase the accessibility and lower the barrier of entry we propose a low-cost (under EUR 1000) approach to the vessel construction with great adaptability and customizability. This design prioritizes minimal power consumption as a key objective. It focuses on elucidating the intricacies of both the design and assembly processes involved in creating an economical USV. Utilizing easily accessible components, the boat outlined in this study has been already participated in the 1st Aegean Ro-boat Race 2023 competition and is tailored for entry into similar robotic competitions. Its primary functionalities encompass autonomous sea navigation coupled with sophisticated collision avoidance capabilities. Finally, we studied reinforcement learning strategies for constructing a robust intelligent controller for the task of USV navigation under disturbances and we show some preliminary simulation results we have obtained.