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Design and Build of Small USVs by Capability of Swarm Control

Sanati Baygi, Mohammad Reza | 2025

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  1. Type of Document: M.Sc. Thesis
  2. Language: Farsi
  3. Document No: 58653 (08)
  4. University: Sharif University of Technology
  5. Department: Mechanical Engineering
  6. Advisor(s): Seif, Mohammad Saeed
  7. Abstract:
  8. This research addresses the design, simulation, and experimental implementation of small intelligent Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) for swarm-based operation and autonomous navigation. The primary objective is to establish an experimental framework for validating swarm guidance algorithms and assessing how theoretical control strategies transfer to physical vessels. In the theoretical phase, a catamaran dynamic model was developed to represent planar motion (surge, sway and yaw). Using this model, a leader–follower coordination scheme—adopted here as a swarm control strategy—was formulated to describe interactions between a leader and its followers under a set of representative scenarios. Extensive MATLAB/Simulink simulations were conducted to evaluate performance in tasks such as formation keeping, leader-stop maneuvers, return-to-origin (waypoint-return) operations, sudden formation changes, and waypoint-following. The simulations examined formation stability, inter-vehicle spacing, and the influence of control gains and hydrodynamic coefficients on transient and steady-state responses.
    For experimental validation, a high-speed monohull vehicle was designed and built as the laboratory platform. The test vessel was instrumented with GPS and IMU sensors for navigation feedback, brushless propulsion motors and electronic speed controllers (ESCs). Command and control in field trials were performed through an RC (radio control) transmitter and receiver, enabling reproduction of a variety of operational conditions. To obtain realistic dynamic parameters, system identification tests—including a zig-zag maneuver—were executed; yaw response coefficients and other identified hydrodynamic parameters were then used for controller tuning. A PID-based waypoint navigation controller was implemented and tested on Al-Mahdi Park lake. Field trials demonstrated the vehicle’s capability to follow predefined waypoints with acceptable accuracy, maintain heading stability at operational speeds, and recover from disturbances. The observed motion behavior was consistent with the general trends predicted by the catamaran-based model, indicating that the simulation framework provided valuable conceptual guidance for controller design and field implementation. Taken together, this study integrates dynamic modeling, control algorithm development, and real-world experimentation to advance small-scale autonomous surface systems within the swarm robotics paradigm. The developed hardware–software platform establishes a solid foundation for future research on adaptive control, obstacle avoidance, and multi-agent coordination in dynamic marine environments, paving the way toward multi-vessel swarm experiments under realistic conditions.
  9. Keywords:
  10. Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) ; Swarm Control ; Leader-Follower Robots ; Catamaran Boat ; Zigzagging Method ; Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID)Control ; Transmitter Receivers ; Swarm Guidance ; Numerical Simulation

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