Autonomous Boat 50km Waypoint Mission

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[@whiteboykopano]

you guys should bring back the long range solar glider, it was such an interesting project

[@wessie3d]

Good idea

[@custard228]

that is how i found this channel, solar gliders are just super cool!

[@bryanoverbey]

I think so too!

[@WOLFPACKED]

Agreed - have the increase in laws made this not viable to make anymore?

[@FilosophicalPharmer]

@@custard228 Discovered the channel when this crazy-smart guy was trying to convert an RC car into some type of land based ekranoplan thing. KZbin algorithm knew I would enjoy keeping up with all Daniel’s adventures. I’ve never looked back. Enjoy! 👍🏼

[@ImmortalAbsol]

A transatlantic drone boat would be ridiculous but an absolutely incredible feat.

[@MashO356]

There was that guy who built SeaCharger, a solar autonomous boat that went from Cali to Hawaii then almost to New Zealand.

[@RCRitterFPV]

transpacific might be easier by location...

[@gbowne1]

we have the technology.

[@3DProjectsRC]

it is defintely doable but will need a very stable boat and definitely some solar panels

[@raining4065]

Already done. Microtransat is a competition for autonomous Atlantic crossing. It seems that the competition program is no longer running. Anyway, it has been done in the past and the consept exists.

[@lyrag6376]

Heya! I have some experience with this sort of thing - the liquid level sensor corroded because of the DC voltage applied, which caused the corrosion. There are some techniques to mitigate this: you can either apply the voltage for a brief time for the measurement once every number of seconds to extend lifetime or apply alternating polarities with each measurement to reverse the electrochemical effects. Either way, and I say this with the utmost respect, you need to up your waterproofing game. It sorta hurts to see so many of your projects scuttled by water ingress when your waterproofing amounts to just silicone, which sorta sucks for this. I recommend you check out waterproof cable glands with PE tubing to carry conductors and some more design considerations for things like acrylic windows like labyrinth seals and compression of silicone/other seals POST-cure. Love your stuff, hate to see it fail due to the world's greatest chemical :)

[@BlueIron64]

Universal solvent strikes again

[@entropybear5847]

I think he just needs to take his water sealing more seriously. Print off two more of the hulls, turn them over, silicon them to the float hulls, and go crazy sealing all the other gaps. And also getting the voltages right.

[@FireCat005]

As soon as he mentioned a level sensor and Arduino for the bilge pump my thought was "way too complicated". Bilge pumps for full size boats just use a float and a switch to activate, which he could have easily replicated with a micro switch.

[@glenmcgillivray4707]

​@@FireCat005a foam pad. Attached to a mechanical switch above it. When water gets in the foam floats. Turning on the pump. The foam sinks. The switch disconnects. So do I need an electronic component to monitor for water to get wet?

[@victorygarden556]

Can you recommend me resources for waterproofing stuff like this? Maybe some channels that do what you recommended

[@garylinker69]

Have you considered having the propellers reverse occasionally to try and clear the weed? That's what we do on our narrowboats to avoid having to manually clear weed. Maybe monitor voltage drop and program in a reverse phase when it needs? Love your videos 🇬🇧😊

[@TheStuartstardust]

Yes and run bilge pump on timer or mechanical switch 😊

[@Kevin75668]

From my experience with RC boats, once it's on there, it's not coming off until you remove it manually. At this scale, every bit of weed is the equivalent of 10 feet of rope to a full size boat. I've actually ripped a rudder off just from vegetation that got somehow looped around it and wound up by the prop.

[@Sniperboy5551]

I’m always left speechless at just how creative and technically skilled this guy is. He’s always building the coolest stuff!

[@fampic7133]

What would be cool to see is a observation and data plane doing circles around the boat and sending the data to shore so you don't have to drive behind it!

[@asafoster7954]

This this this

[@callumfoster817]

And then another observation and data drone observing the initial observation and data drone ect ect..

[@FreakBasti]

The reason why he drove behind was not because of data, but so he could interfer if something goes wrong.

[@thespacewhiz]

And if it was solar it would be great it would be a full autonomous system all just to get data back to hime

[@robe4314]

I'd love to see you revisit solar autonomous planes and see how small you can make one. Is it possible to go under 250g?

[@picklefart]

I can’t imagine that being possible. I’d like to see it if it is though

[@robe4314]

@@picklefart I mean I have my doubts too, but solar tech keeps advancing and it would be a neat challenge to see how small you can get it and still make it increase the range.

[@marvinrupp114]

There are thin Solar Foils which have a very small weight. This on a nice delta wing. Maybe 50w will be enough to power. A small 2s1p 18650 Liion Battery for the start. I think maybe it could work. I had a little Delta with only 120g with 2s 850mAh LiPo. But would not recomend LiPo cause of charging with Solar.

[@gutrali]

Use a capacitive water detector! Those can be encased in conformal coating and will still detect water. The resistive one you used is well known for not working long term

[@TeamYankee2]

I use a "Chirp" for my plants..

[@PanSatyr]

I tested capacitive sensors in dirt for an entire summer in the midwest and had no issues with them. Definitely the way to go for water sensing.

[@gutrali]

@@PanSatyr yes! Me too, in a hydroponic setup with water that is way too conductive for any other option. Did you come across the fact some of those capacitive sensors are actually sold with a defect? There are a few videos online about the problem and the fix. A few of mine had that issue. As long as the broke ones are avoided or known about, totally agree they are the way to go!

[@minibigs5259]

Or set it up AC so it doesn't dissolve

[@gutrali]

@@minibigs5259 not only does that common sensor not run on AC (it would require a completely different sensing and interface circuit of your own design), AC power definitely still causes corrosion due to stray currents and other imbalances. That's why capacitive sensors are a better bet, there doesn't need to be any interface to the water at all

[@redtsar]

I look forward to your next autonomous ship mission I hate to say it, but I think it's time for a new hull design after your next set of upgrades, incorporating everything that you have learned previously into making an efficient autonomous ship that won't be causing you any problems Btw, ever thought about doing a community event? Other people making autonomous ships and sailing along yours, competing for efficiency, range, who gets to the finish first, etc I would be down and I'm sure others would be too

[@jamessteiner1113]

I wonder if a paddle wheel boat would solve the seaweed problem

[@aaronhunter7026]

I like this idea. I also think it would be cool to see a snowcat-like vehicle that floats. It seems like adding paddles to the tracks would make it energy efficient for slow speeds.

[@lul123]

You should do a checklist for launching the boat so you never ever again forget the drain plug ^^

[@jkhsdjkhfjkhh3]

I was thinking red tape over the ignition or similar...I've been in a boat in the middle of the bay, when I realized it was rapidly flooding, had to use the power to get a across to the marina lol.

[@O.L.D_RC]

"Dude, you should snort some of that and see what happens." 😂 Wouldn't be nearly as funny if I hadn't been thinking "he ought to snort some of that 💩." 😂🤣😂

[@fixifaxhd772]

I have to say. This is one of my favourite KZbin channels. I really enjoyed the last boat rides. Such a relaxed vibe! 10/10

[@PortRhouse]

I love the shots of the beautiful northwest scenery and wildlife almost as much as the project itself!

[@aserta]

4:49 Andromeda Strain scene where the surgeon cuts the country doc's deceased body and sand pours away. 7:16 you could add two extra flotation tanks to the left and right of the motor directly on the transom. Basically you take some foam blocks, cover them in fiberglass (making sure they fit the shape of the transom) and you screw them in place. FIY you should over drill all the holes you've made and fill them with resin. Water will get inside the foam layer and you'll trash the boat if you skip this step. edit 3: to make it clear, the resin is in there to create a barrier between the foam and the screw.

[@cpobyrne1]

nice bit of aquatic R&D there! Float switch for the bilge pump might work better?

[@matthewshort4780]

I love how much time you put in to recording your voice-over. Extremely concise.

[@dfgaJK]

Those low slow-mo shots look epic! It is an amazingly small boat for wakeboarding behind and it seems like a very utilitarian boat overall.

[@jailbrokenapfel8842]

I'm hesitant to get too close cuz it's an autonomous boat, I feel like i just need to let it do its thing. You know, keep my distance. "I don't want to be a helicopter parent" 😂😂😂

[@kinderdm]

For these autonomous boat projects, I wonder how a paddle wheel might fair. There would definitely be a large loss of efficiency compared to a prop, but with hopefully less trouble from seaweed you might see an overall performance boost. Seaweed could still get caught but would be more likely to fall free since the point of rotation is outside the water, and a comb could be made to grab hanging seaweed as the paddle left the water if rotation is fast enough. No clue if the overall performance would be better or worse but might be worth at least investigating. Also, would be interesting to combine such an old propulsion method with the modern aspects of being electrically/solar driven and autonomous.

[@michiganengineer8621]

I'd go with a side wheel design myself in this case. Driving two (or more) side paddle wheels would be less complicated than a stern-wheel (unless you mount the electric motor outside the hull). Differential steering would make a lot of sense for a "small" autonomous rather than hull penetrations for the rudders.

[@nathanz7205]

I laughed way to hard at the helicopter parent statement. Awesome video, i always love any autonomous long range project.

[@3DProjectsRC]

I love watching autonomous projects. My favourite one was the banana slug because I really liked the single hull design.

[@daafip]

In yachting you have propcutters for if you get a line caught in the prop. Maybe a possibility for the seaweed?

[@NotDrDre]

“You should snort some of that and see what happens.” is the sort of things true friends say to each other.

[@CarPelg]

I just love that when he talks or does anything else there is no music playing. And when it is it's not when he talks I love that.❤😅

[@Gwilo]

here before rctestflight creates a yacht in a couple of years, fully autonomous and solar-powered, it becomes known as the "drone hub" for all local pizza deliveries

[@Demongornot]

For alternative propulsion, you can combine both wind and water : For wind, there is the classic sail, but there is also the amazing Kite, which could make a great project, a self launching and recovering Kite, in fact, you could even generate electricity with Kite. There are the : *Pulled by wind then retrieve through gliding. *Pulled by wind then retrieve through flag position. *Figure eight. *Spin on itself. Ways of making electricity from a Kite, all pull the craft while unwinding the cables if it has enough resistance and both the figure eight and spin method allow to still get propulsion during retrieval, but they are harder to control, while the gliding method (mostly with a self/neutral stabilized sail) is the easiest to control with simple electronic. As for the water propulsion, you can combine multiple types, but some are almost seaweed proof, like the FIN'X or the more typical undulating fin solution, which isn't that hard to make with as it work with a single crackshaft, as here you only need to control longitudinal thrust, unlike all those submersibles. One thing I thought about would be to make a Trimaran hull design, but with the side hull on hinges with a simple breaking/locking mechanism, they would use the wave movements to generate electricity, the same way a "sea snake generator" do works, except it would serve both as a "suspension" to absorb waves impacts and generator. A full bridge rectifier would allow any movement direction to always produce the same polarity, with a simple angle limiter and dampener, it could probably work well. As for the water problem, you could have two hulls, one inside the other, the pump intake and water detector (which could be homemade in 316 stainless steel or other corrosion resistant conductors as a series of close enough "pins" to detect non-salt water's conductivity) and a water pump type which can run dry, such as a peristaltic one which are not that hard to homemade, since the mechanism isn't touching the water, any small particles won't cause issues inside it, with a timer that enable it for multiple seconds after the water detector is triggered, so the movements of the boat won't make it "miss" the water. And waterproof the electronic with a simple hot glue gun so only the wires and possibly radiators (as it may overheat inside that) are going through it, same for the "inner" hull, which can be totally sealed off using a lead that contain the same hot glue (so you don't have to engineer a perfect fit lit with joints), bonus if you include a "hatch" with all the connectors for recharging batteries or connecting microcontrollers.

[@Moonsauc3]

Dude these waypoint missions wind up such an adventure. I really enjoy all your content.

[@JacquesTreehorn]

Wow, first time I have seen your Dad make an appearance. He must be proud.

[@cschrislsmit]

Hey man, been noticing the improved camera equipment and shooting techniques. Really stepping up your game in the production department recently, and it shows!

[@haydenc2742]

Conformal coat the arduino's and boards with clear nail polish...just paint a few layers over it to protect them from moisture/corrosion Also...run marvels mystery oil in the gasoline and put some MotorKote in the oil and the lower gear section for hyper lubrication and help prevent water damage Very cool! Keep em coming!!!!

[@Norweeg]

9:44 That William Osman hoodie is even more succulent.

[@SaltyMcBoatFace]

okay so there seems to be some confusion on what "plaining" is , it is not when the stern wash separates from the transom , it is when the boat lifts onto the surface of the water or ever so slightly below it , the boat will give a very distinctive feeling when it does this , the front will go from pointing upwards to leveling off once the boat has reached enough speed to overcome the drag of the water against the hull , plaining doesnt usually happen until around 12mph

[@benmcreynolds8581]

The projects you have created are so impressive. There is a lot of R/C stuff but the quality of your creations are just Insane! The mix of your knowledge/tech abilities/engineering abilities & just overall creativity is just mind blowing to see the things you end up creating & the quality they are capable of performing at, is just mind blowing. The way you've made crafts that run off of such efficient power or solar power & combined with autonomous traversal is just crazy stuff. I love your channel dude. Always great content. (I hope to see more underwater ROV projects in the future. They are fascinating)

[@mskills821]

Meat torpedoes is a fantastically apt description.

[@FilosophicalPharmer]

Regarding buoys… “Red, Right, Returning” may help sometime in your new boating adventures. Keep the red buoys on your right when returning inland. 👍🏼

[@mgpBLARG]

Maybe a hobbie catamaran sailboat would be more appropriate for solar sailing. You could mount the solar panels above you so you can get shade and power without the chance of the panels dipping into the water.

[@JohnMeacham]

Did you add flyback diodes accross the relay? Even if the uC can handle the voltage and current needed to activate the relay, an inductive load like that will produce a large flyback voltage when you shut it off, all that stored magnetic energy needs to go somewhere and if you dont give it a path like a diode it will just keep upping the voltage until it shorts something out.

[@Cyber_element_lz]

You all mark my words, I will make a rc boat that will go across the UK Thanks for the inspiration

[@RyanHannaProductions]

I'd be interested in seeing you tackle a long range project using LoRa modules

[@thesoupin8or673]

I love your autonomous boat videos so much! They're by far my favorite. Can't wait to see what you try to fix the seaweed problem!

[@williamfoster4268]

All those slow motion shots are *chef's kiss*

[@ponyote]

I love that the correct term is 'come- along' and that you used it in perfect context. Kudos!

[@Squirrelses]

"In this episode, Daniel discovers the real value of 'Marine Grade'..."

[@jasont80]

This is such an amusing project! Thank you for sharing all the hard work!

[@rgilroy1909]

love you videos. my dad lived in Lake Stevens and Camano Island. as a kid we used to navigate the sound all the time crabbing and fishing. Reminds me of home. Especially today, the day before thanksgiving.

[@Alex-xs6ht]

24:40 love this shot, small boat in a big world

[@cascadesouthernmodeltrains7547]

I love the “Place where the aircraft carriers are”. Better known as Bremerton and Port Orchard the body of water is the Sinclair Inlet. I love sailing in that area but where the 3 channels meet the winds get all sorts of confused and it makes for an interesting sail.

[@csselement]

Fellow Seattlite here. Love watching your project adventures.

[@3drcking]

4:56 you should snore some of that 😂😂😂 almost died 😂

[@russellarendt5565]

I truly enjoy the combination of science and adventure that your episodes display, thanks ☮️

[@creatorTWin]

Super fun - I took a lot of inspiration from your videos and made my own boat. Currently changing my own from inav with a standard analog vtx to ardupilot with openipc as the video control link.

[@Splarkszter]

Your videos are always a treat. Wish to some day to be able to design the same kind of stuff.

[@killingtimeitself]

you could totally use a water jet if you had a large enough intake grate with a fine enough mesh, it would completely negate anything except a conveniently sized sheet getting sucked up to the intake. Im sure it would FUN to build though.

[@DconBlueZ]

Thanks for the video, always enjoy watching!

[@OutdoorEngineering]

I was in the middle of editing a video that I am trying to upload today, and saw that this video was posted and completely derailed my progress, because instead of finishing my video, I'm watching this and thinking about how I want to build my solar boat when I get back to the mainland next year. This channel has inspired me to spend so much money... I mean start several projects....

[@Splarkszter]

XD

[@TerraMagnus]

I’d die if you got enough of the right sponsorship to get one of those big barges and rig it up as a solar powered maritime RV.

[@taxabletour4109]

Pretty sure that would be very illegal 😭

[@TerraMagnus]

@@taxabletour4109 how so

[@johnguidry2558]

I'm old school & what u put together blows my mind.Love urstreams man....

[@mitsuman5555]

These videos never fail to entertain. Thanks for doing what you do.

[@Lexcifer]

been a fan of the channel for a quite a few years now, good work sir I love the autonomous things you do and look forward to more, UK expat living in Spain

[@awdturbopowah773]

Very cool project, and a good attempt! For a more robust liquid level sensor, and something that isn't susceptible to corrosion, perhaps a switch connected to a small float would be better? Like in a toilet tank, but with an electronic switch on the end of the float.

[@SterkRacing]

Daniel could make watching paint dry interesting.

[@StormSilvawalker]

We need a music video edit of those slow motion shots! I haven't seen one of these built but a reciprocating fin like a fish tail with all rotational elements above the water line would be immune to seaweed. Its either going to have to be that, a bigger underwater prop and beefier motor, or an air prop above the water in my opinion. The fish tail system shouldn't be too hard to make a prototype for but it would probably take a lot of iteration to get it working. I love your channel!

[@optimisticpessimist5831]

Just a heads up, going slow and close to seal covered bouys, can be risky. A friend lost his boat when a 250kg bull that couldn't get space on the bouy, took the easy option and jumped on his boat flipping and sinking it. That also left them swimming out of a white shark feeding area in a panic

[@jasperoliger]

When thinking about boats hulls that work under low displacement you should look into a rowboat with a “shallop” or “double shallop”design. They have sweeping lines that come down to a V shaped bottom. They work amazing at low speeds and are commonly used as sailing dhingys. I’ve seen them be incredibly stable even at low speeds like 2 or 3 knots. An electric motor on one would work amazingly as they do so well at low speeds

[@westherm]

On racing sailboats there is occaisionally an option for a weed-cutter keel or a rudder. Basically a knife edge that cuts through seaweed. A couple razor blades upstream of your prop will get the job done. I think I've even seen it on rc sailboats.

[@ADaiwa_14]

those slo mo shots were straight fire, bro straight cooked with those

[@Franksey180]

Great project and mission. I even enjoy your battle with water proofing/leaks/humidity attacking your electronics. All good fun :)

[@jackphilp7057]

For water level you should definitely use a ToF sensor. The Gagguino project uses one to monitor water tank height over I2C.

[@robinbennett5994]

Those water sensors corrode because powering them makes them act like a battery. They last much longer if you only switch the power on for a moment every now and then. The other way to detect water is to run the pump and measure how much power it draws. It takes more power to pump water than air.

[@faragar1791]

I wonder if there are any propeller designs that are designed to minimize string tagling or trapping weeds. These designs are probably not energy efficient, but at least you won't have to worry about the propeller getting stuck.

[@jason0870]

It's all about the smiles per hour when you're out power boating.

[@felixmakesart]

I loved seeing those sea lions!! Incredible footage you got of them on that buoy.

[@Kiddio]

Love the vlog style videos like this man, keep it up.

[@AtomicAerials]

You cruised right past Keyport Naval Base! You should look that place up, while they mostly work on maintaining torpedo stockpiles, there is a development squadron that launched 30ft autonomous submarines that - like your boat - robotically navigate around Puget Sound! The model I used see there was the LTV-38, which was a large-displacement unmanned undersea vehicle (LDUUV)

[@warmflatsprite]

If you want a better water level sensor, you can make an RC oscillator circuit out of a comparator. For the capacitor, use a circuit board with two parallel traces routed alongside one another, but leave the traces covered in solder mask rather than exposed. The longer the traces the better. You can snake them around the board to use the full surface area, too. You'll still want to coat the circuit board (especially the edges) in a thin layer of epoxy, as FR4 will wick up the salt water, but with that design you avoid exposing the copper directly to the saltwater.

[@RebelCowboysRVs]

Its interesting how many people try to build electric boats out of planing hulls. Paddle wheels are good options for seaweed. As for the bulge pumps, float valve or just two stainless steel contacts an inch apart. That can switch the pumps directly, or a relay or just sense resistance change. Salt water will eat any of it so build it assuming that. Thick stainless will last a while.

[@cfrankfly]

I love watching your videos for years, you are so fun and creative :-)

[@alberthofmann420]

18:26 Song Name: Log - Laxcity

[@misery13666]

I think for the full size autonomous electric trip next time, a catamaran is the way to go. Allows you to take tohe boat own to its pontoons and put it on a normal trailer. Water tight pontoons give you a mix of engine/battery room, and dry secure storage, netted center basically gives you a hammock/trampoline to lay in as you cruise. You could use a tent for shade and bug proof sleeping that is easily taken down during day. exterior edges give you raised areas for solar panel connection. Honestly if i didn't live in the desert I'd want to make it myself.

[@keegan707]

I used to manage a fleet of 20 Whalers for a youth camp. We had one hull like yours. It was my favorite as the wet well could be plugged and it kept the main area dry. I had one staff take that boat out after work to go fishing and he tossed the builge pump overboard and filled the wet well with sea water to keep bait fish alive. Creative but not the best for the motor that was being washed with the overflow.

[@zhoufang996]

Have you considered using a paddle wheel? Maybe that would avoid the seaweed problems.

[@amandahugankiss4110]

curious.. how about a set of swimming arms?

[@ZacKoch]

Lol "meat torpedoes" 😂I spit out my coffee... Thanks

[@dLoLe]

You should definitely do a cross-atlantic trip with an autonomous boat!

[@Mr.JesseR]

that would require a bigger boat, given wave size

[@RCDUDEFPV]

some great shots, Funny, and You take it to another level, i could watch for hours, BIG Thumbs up

[@PetterEriksson94]

Looking forward to the next video and seeing what you come up with for the propulsion system! For the bilge pumps, big boats use float switches. Maybe there's a commercially available product but otherwise it shouldn't bee too difficult to build your own, especially with your creativity and prototyping/construction possibilities with the 3D printers. With one of those switches, only a float needs to be in contact with the water and the electronics can be kept high up. Salt water and electronics is a nightmare. Good luck!

[@tomdow]

I love these videos of your awesome projects!

[@bigboatben]

Oregon welded fishing boats use something called a stomp great over the jet pump intake. I wonder if you could 3-D print a similar device actuated by a servo? Great video thank you for sharing

[@blakedavenport8139]

Fun fact - you can get the boat on plane and then pull the drain plug to drain the hull. Works great as long as you don't stop!

[@TekedixXx]

Daniel is an OG if he's got a blue Ryobi. I still have a blue Ryobi cordless drill and wired circular saw; some well made tools if you don't abuse them. And FDM parts are surprisingly strong. Just printed some camera dolly roller assemblies, at even at 20% infill they are super sturdy using Inland PETG+ (Living near a microcenter has some great perks lol)

[@TroyMcKeown]

The low-light video of you chasing down your auto-boat is impressive! It reminds me how infrequently I see stars with my local light pollution!

[@khimbittle7705]

Cool video as always .. think water jet with fine grill to keep out seaweed

[@Nikdangove]

while the Rc stuff is cool, the way you present the whole story is what makes me stay, Seal noises were just the cream on top.. love it.

[@phortlynszockerstub]

Could you make an autonomous RC Sailboat? Would it be possible? 🤔

[@natehill8069]

You should probably not use red and green as your sump indicators, since red indicates the port side of a boat and green indicates starboard and someone approaching your boat at night might think its going the opposite direction from what it is.

[@rH-qx9ir]

These videos really inspire me. Thx

[@soccercheese33]

I suggest to move the fuel tank forward of the console for better balance. Even mounted under your forward wooden bench would help loads with the stern water problems. Amazing work as always, keep it up!

[@vennox1598]

love the long videos, there almost like a movie

[@imchris5000]

the drag of the water really helps with the 3d printed parts when in rotation because they are being compressed instead of stretched by the g forces from spinning

[@dingoatemywavygravy]

I love your channel. I think you have the ability to design the first rc electric impeller.