Lab Boat
Maintained and developed a full scale research vessel used as a shared test platform for navigation, sensing, and mission computer experiments. This role allowed me to support multiple engineering groups and apply ArduPilot across diverse hardware systems.
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problem
Problem A full scale research boat introduces constraints that smaller vessels do not. • Onboard systems must be stable under real environmental conditions. • Sensors and mission computers must remain synchronized and fault tolerant. • Data streams from multiple payloads must be logged and validated in real time. • Every project using the boat has different requirements, timelines, and test protocols. The challenge was to maintain reliability while supporting diverse research efforts that depended on the same platform.
solution
I treated the Lab Boat as a central testbed. I maintained the ArduPilot navigation stack, validated hardware interfaces, and ensured each payload operated correctly under field conditions. I managed motor tuning, communication links, and radar integration, and I supported teams that needed the boat for environmental mapping, robotics experiments, and sensor characterization. Consistent configuration and careful documentation allowed the boat to function as a shared resource for multiple engineering groups.
After my work on the autonomous Mr. Trash system and the AESV, I was entrusted with responsibility for the Lab Boat, a full scale research vessel used across multiple innovation projects. I had to make a proof-of-concept which there was a "demo day" for and present it.
The boat served as the primary platform for testing sensors, mission computers, communication links, and ArduPilot based control systems. Because the boat supported work from several sectors, I was given access to projects ranging from environmental surveying to defense oriented sensing tasks. The common thread was ArduPilot integration, which allowed me to contribute across teams and apply the same control, navigation, and data handling standards to every prototype.
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see also
