The Unmanned Foil (UF): An Autonomous, Retractable-Mast Electromechanical Hydrofoil

摘要

A unique, single-mast, electric, unmanned hydrofoil vessel was developed at the University of Florida for survey and mapping (bathymetry) applications. A group of students familiar with designing and building unmanned aircraft systems was intrigued by the recent development of hydrofoil surfboards, such as the Lift eFoil. By combining the single-mast design concept with modern drone autopilot technology, a unique vessel was developed that has advantages over traditional small unmanned watercraft. The 120 lb. vessel is compact, making transport, launching, and operation convenient. Because of the efficiencies that the hydrofoil allows, the vessel has a more extended range and operates at higher speeds for a longer duration for a given battery capacity or runs at higher speeds for a given motor/ battery power. Additionally, chop and wind effects on vessel performance are minimized, which allows for sensors to traverse through the water in a stable/level manner. The vessel was also designed with a telescoping mast, allowing it to be launched in as little as 10 inches of water. This paper describes the design process implementation, fabrication, testing, and validation in a real-world setting. The vessel can perform a prescribed raster pattern to produce unmanned underwater surveys with sonar or optical sensors.