Systems and methods for steering a watercraft
AssigneeArc Boat Company
InventorsRobert Binkowski, Hsin Yu Wei, Andrew Phillips
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method of steering a watercraft. The method comprising determining an estimated speed, an estimated yaw, and an estimated yaw rate of change of a watercraft based on a first output from a GPS and a second output from an inertial measurement unit; adjusting a position of a rudder coupled to a hull of the watercraft based on a position of a steering wheel; determining a desired yaw rate of change of a hull based on the position of the steering wheel and the estimated speed; energizing a propeller to provide a propelling force on the hull; and energizing a thruster coupled to the hull based on an error between the desired yaw rate of change and the estimated yaw rate of change.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- determining an estimated speed, an estimated yaw, and an estimated yaw rate of change of a watercraft based on a first output from a Global Positioning System (GPS) and a second output from an inertial measurement unit;
- adjusting a position of a rudder coupled to a hull of the watercraft based on a position of a steering wheel;
- determining a desired yaw rate of change of the hull based on the position of the steering wheel and the estimated speed;
- energizing a propeller to provide a propelling force on the hull;
- and
- energizing a thruster coupled to the hull based on an error between the desired yaw rate of change and the estimated yaw rate of change.
A watercraft comprising:
- a hull defining a center bow-stern axis;
- a user input device;
- a throttle;
- an inboard motor coupled to a propeller;
- wherein the propeller is positioned along the center bow-stern axis;
- and wherein the propeller is energized based on a throttle position of the throttle to provide a propelling force on the hull;
- a first thruster coupled to the hull;
- a second thruster coupled to the hull;
- wherein the propeller is positioned between the first thruster and the second thruster along the center bow-stern axis;
- a rudder coupled to the hull and adjustable about a rudder axis;
- wherein the rudder is positioned based on a position of the user input device;
- a Global Positioning System (GPS) system generating a first output;
- an inertial measurement unit generating a second output;
- and
- a processor configured to determine an estimated speed, an estimated yaw, and an estimated yaw rate of change based on the first output from the GPS system and the second output from the inertial measurement unit;
- and wherein the processor is further configured to determine a desired yaw rate of change of the hull based on the position of the user input device;
- wherein the first thruster or the second thruster is energized based on an error between the desired yaw rate of change and the estimated yaw rate of change.
A method comprising:
- determining a desired trajectory of a hull of a watercraft based on a position of a steering wheel and a position of a throttle;
- wherein the desired trajectory is a reverse trajectory or a forward trajectory;
- adjusting a position of a rudder coupled to the hull based on the position of the steering wheel;
- energizing a propeller based on the position of the throttle to provide a propelling force on the hull;
- and
- energizing a first thruster and a second thruster coupled to the hull to negate a drifting motion of the hull caused by the propeller;
- wherein the propeller is positioned between the first thruster and the second thruster.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.