Ocean sampling and su eillance using
au onomous sailboa s
Nuno A. C uz, Jose C. Al es
Depa men o Elec ical and Compu e Enginee ing
Facul y o Enginee ing o he Uni e si y o Po o
Rua D . Robe o F ias, 4200-465, Po o – Po ugal
{nac uz, jca}@ e.up.p
Abs ac
In his pape , we discuss some o he po en ial applica ions o small scale au onomous sailboa s. The
use o au onomous sailboa s o ocean sampling has been en a i ely p oposed be o e, bu he e ha e
been mino e o s owa ds he de elopmen and deploymen o ac ual p o o ypes, due o a numbe o
echnical limi a ions and signi ican isks o ope a ion. We show ha , cu en ly, mos o he limi a ions
ha e been su passed, wi h he exis ing a ailabili y o ex emely low powe elec onics, lexible com-
pu a ional sys ems and high pe o mance enewable powe sou ces. A he same ime, some o he
majo isks ha e been mi iga ed, allowing his eme ging echnology o become an e ec i e ool o a
wide ange o applica ions in eal scena ios. We illus a e some o hese scena ios and we desc ibe he
s a us o he cu en e o s being made o de elop ope a ional p o o ypes, wi h some p omising esul s
al eady being achie ed.
In oduc ion
In con en ional sailing boa s, he sailo con ols he udde acco ding o he desi ed cou se and uses he
sail shee o maximize eloci y. Fo a gi en cou se, wind speed and wind di ec ion, he e is an op imum
angle be ween he sail and di ec ion o he wind ha maximizes he speed o he boa . Au onomous
sailboa s a e obo ic boa s ha use wind ene gy o p opulsion and ha e he capabili y o con ol he
sails and udde s wi hou human in e en ion.
Al hough he use o au onomous sailboa s o ocean sampling has been p oposed in he pas ,
he e has been li le a en ion om he scien i ic communi y ega ding po en ial applica ions, e en
hough he e is a g ea demand o ocean da a, pa icula ly wha conce ns in-si u measu emen s
(Leg and e al., 2003). In his pape , we show ha his eme ging echnology may soon become an
e ec i e ool o a wide ange o applica ions in eal scena ios, complemen ing he o he echnologies
a ailable o ocean sampling and su eillance.
This pape is o ganized as ollows. Sec ion 2 p o ides some backg ound ega ding echnology
and pa adigms o ocean sampling. In Sec ion 3 we use a SWOT analysis (S eng hs, Weaknesses,
Oppo uni ies and Th ea s) o assess he po en ial u iliza ion o au onomous sailboa s in he ocean.
Nex , in Sec ion 4, we desc ibe a se o applica ions whe e au onomous sailboa s may be e ec i ely
used. In Sec ion 5 we analyze he s a us o he cu en e o s being made o de elop ope a ional
p o o ypes, and inally, Sec ion 6 p esen s he main conclusions and he plans o u u e e olu ions.
Mo i a ion
Technology o ocean sampling – a b ie su ey
Ships o oppo uni y – One o he easies ways o ge ocean measu emen s is he ins alla ion o in-
si u senso s on ships o oppo uni y, such as ca go ships o e y-boa s (Pe e sen e al., 2004). Typical
ins umen s include empe a u e and conduc i i y eco de s, cu en p o ile s, e c. Wi h hese sys ems,
all da a is s o ed in e nally and i is only e ie ed when he ship eaches he inal des ina ion.
Moo ed Ins umen a ion and Ocean Obse a o ies – In-si u ocean obse a o ies a e unmanned
sys ems loca ed a a ixed si e, p o iding in o ma ion ega ding he sea loo , he wa e column and/o
he su ace. They a e impo an ools o moni o ing ime- a ia ions o oceanic p ocesses and hey
ha e been ins alled all o e he wo ld, pa icula ly in he las decade (So eide e al., 2001). A ays o
moo ed, and he e o e s a ic, ins umen a ion can p o ide simul aneous ime se ies, bu spa ial esolu-
ion is ypically poo due o he high cos . Cu en de elopmen s y o ge he mos ou o he moo ed
ins umen a ion by combining a p o iling mechanism o a moo ed based sys em (B own e al., 2001).
Towed Sys ems – Towed senso s can p o ide quasi-synop ic sec ions o e ol ing ocean ields.
They a e con olled om a ship ia an umbilical co d, ha p o ides powe and communica ions. These
sys ems ha e limi ed maneu e abili y, using de lec ion su aces o changing dep h and o ien a ion.
Some undula ing e sions allow o complex e ical pa e ns, such as yo-yo’s.
Remo ely Ope a ed Vehicles – Remo ely Ope a ed Vehicles (o ROVs) a e unde wa e obo ic
machines ha ope a e wi h a physical link wi h he su ace. None heless all echnological ad ances,
he mobili y o hese ehicles emains se e ely cons ained by he umbilical, and he d ag associa ed
o he ame and he cable p e en high eloci ies, so ha he majo applica ion o hese ehicles is o
pe o m close inspec ions in en i onmen s wi h low cu en s, in shallow wa e s.
D i e s, P o ile s and Glide s – D i e s a e ins umen ed loa s d opped om a suppo essel,
which d i ho izon ally wi h he local cu en s o long pe iods o ime (So eide e al., 2001). P esen
p o ile s a e simila o he d i e s, bu hey use a iable buoyancy o mo e e ically h ough he ocean.
Glide s no only use a iable buoyancy o mo e e ically, bu hey ha e also wings and con ol oils
designed o allow s ee able gliding, hus p o iding o some limi ed con ol on ho izon al p opulsion
(E iksen e al., 2001). Some o hese ehicles can su ace om ime o ime o ge GPS coo dina es
and communica e ia app op ia e sa elli e links. None heless, he amoun o in o ma ion ha can be
ansmi ed is e y limi ed and he scien is s need o wai o eco e y o ge ull da a. A ecen glide
model includes a hea engine ha d aws ene gy om he ocean he mocline, he e o e allowing o e y
long ange ope a ions (Webb e al., 2001).
Au onomous Su ace Vehicles – Au onomous Su ace Vehicles (o ASVs) a e obo ic boa s ha
ypically use elec ic powe o p opulsion and ope a e wi hou any physical link wi h he ope a o . ASVs
ha e usually a la ge capaci y in e ms o payload olume and weigh , bu he limi ed amoun o ene gy
s o ed on boa d p e en s hei use in long ange missions. Al hough he e has been some e o
ega ding he deploymen o ASVs o ope a ion in coas al wa e s, he ac is ha he p o o ypes being
de eloped a e mainly in ended o calm inland wa e s (C uz e al., 2007).
Au onomous Unde wa e Vehicles – Some o he mos ecen echnological ad ances, pa icu-
la ly in he las decade, ha e os e ed he de elopmen o Au onomous Unde wa e Vehicles (AUVs)
(G i i hs, 2003). AUVs cons i u e powe ul and e ec i e ools o unde wa e da a ga he ing. These
ehicles ope a e wi h no physical link wi h he su ace, ca ying a se o ele an senso s o cha ac e ize
he unde wa e en i onmen . AUV u iliza ion is s ill qui e limi ed as a as ou ine ocean sampling is
conce ned, bu some e y in e es ing esul s ha e a oused om hei use in challenging en i onmen s,
such as unde A c ic ice-shee s, in deep wa e , in e y shallow wa e s, and in ex eme en i onmen s.
Remo e Sensing – Due o hei global co e age and sophis ica ed ins umen a ion, en i onmen al
sa elli es a e playing an expanding ole in moni o ing ocean condi ions, namely in sea-su ace em-
pe a u e and chlo ophyll concen a ion. The con ibu ions o sa elli es a e undamen al o measu ing
a ia ions on ime scales anging om seasonal-in e annual o decadal. Howe e , hey lack in de ail
and ha e poo e ical in o ma ion.
The AOSN Concep
The concep o Au onomous Ocean Sampling Ne wo ks (AOSN) was in oduced in (Cu in e al., 1993),
in a no el app oach o p o ide a amewo k o encompass a se o coope a i e e o s aking place,
in eg a ing complemen a y in o ma ion sou ces abou he oceans.
The undamen al idea behind his pa adigm is o p o ide a syne ge ic obse a ion sys em o a
gi en egion, aking ad an age o he bene i s o all echnology a ailable. Cu in e al. en isaged he
ins alla ion o moo ed ins umen a ion linked o sho e ia adio o sa elli e, p o iding oceanog aphic
and a mosphe ic da a in eal ime. A he same ime, a se o small, high-pe o mance ehicles (glide s
and AUVs) would be na iga ing in he a ea o p o ide in ensi e 4-D da a abou he egion.
Why au onomous sailboa s?
One o he cha ac e is ics o au onomous obo ic sys ems is he absence o physical connec ions wi h
any ope a o , he e o e hey ha e o ca y all equi ed ene gy o /and ha es some ene gy om he
en i onmen . Fo any mo ing sys em, he ac ion o ene gy necessa y o p o ide mo ion is usually
signi ican . Au onomous sailboa s ely on wind o p o ide p opulsion and so hey only need elec ical
ene gy o he onboa d elec onics and udde adjus men s. Wi h cu en educ ion in powe consump-
ion om elec onic ci cui s and senso s, i is possible o im down he ene gy equi emen o a ew ens
o Wa -hou pe day. A he same ime, he e ha e been majo de elopmen s in echnology associa ed
wi h enewable ene gy sou ces o mic o-gene a ion, such as minia u e wind u bines and sola panels,
and i is now possible o ha e high pe o mance comme cial-o - he-shel ene gy gene a o s a e y
easonable cos s (Maycock and B ad o d, 2007). I we combine his oge he wi h he ene gy densi ies
p o ided by new ba e y echnologies, such as Li hium-Ion, hen i is clea ha i is easible o de ise an
ene gy managemen sys em ha can p o ide a con inuous supply o powe o he onboa d elec onics.
Au onomous sailboa s can anspo a wide a ie y o senso s and s o e he incoming da a in e nally
o ansmi i o sho e ia adio o sa elli e. E en he smalles au onomous sailboa s ha e some space
a ailable o senso s, ei he in he hull, he mas o in he o m o an unde wa e owed sys em. Wi h
he abili y o a el o long dis ances, e en hough i may be a modes eloci ies, i is clea ha hese
sys ems may p o ide aluable ocean da a in spacial and empo al scales complemen a y o he o he
echnologies al eady in use.
Dimensions o au onomous sailboa s
The size o a ec ea ional yach a ies om he mos modes single pe son "dinghy" o he long luxu y
models. Besides pe sonal p e e ences (we he aes he ics, social impac , o o he ), size is mainly
dic a ed by a adeo be ween size/com o and p ice. When i comes o au onomous sailboa s, he e
a e no limi a ions ega ding people anspo a ion and su ely com o is no an issue. Many o he
aspec s ha e o be con empla ed ins ead, and usually he d i ing ac o s a e sa e y and pe o mance.
Sailing pe o mance esul s om a complex adeo be ween a ious design ac o s, such as sail a ea,
sail shape, hull size and hull shape (Ma chaj, 1996).
When de e mining he size o an au onomous sailboa , i is impo an o con empla e bo h he
pe manen ha dwa e ha needs o be ins alled (elec onics and mechanical sys ems) and also he
ex a payload ha may be anspo ed o pa icula applica ions. E en wi h hese cons ain s, he e
is usually some deg ee o lexibili y on he o e all size o he sailboa , p o iding he scaling p ocess is
aken acco ding o he p inciples o yach design (Ma chaj, 1996, Skene, 2001).
The e a e some ad an ages o building a la ge sailboa , such as:
•Mo e eloci y – Theo e ically, he maximum eloci y o a sailboa is p opo ional o he squa e- oo
o he leng h on he wa e line (LWL);
•Mo e payload capaci y – The a ailable olume inside he hull inc eases wi h he cube o he
scaling ac o . A bigge sailboa will also ha e a highe mas and a la ge deck space o senso s;
•Mo e s abili y – As he dimensions inc ease, i is possible o imp o e he a io be ween he ballas
and he o al weigh , inc easing s abili y.
A la ge sailboa has also some disad an ages, such as:
•Cos inc ease – The cos o hull cons uc ion na u ally inc eases o a la ge scale;
•Mo e complex logis ics – An inc ease in size and weigh impai s o age, anspo a ion and ope -
a ional logis ics;
•Mo e powe equi ed o s ee ing – A la ge , hea ie sailboa demands mo e powe o s ee ing.
Ano he consequence o inc easing he size o a sailboa is o augmen he isibili y as seen om
o he ships. This may be an ad an age when he p io i y goes o equipmen sa e y (diminishing he
isks o ship collision), and/o when a su eillance ope a ion also elies on he de e ence abili y. In
o he su eillance scena ios, howe e , i may be p e e able o ha e an in isible sailboa .
The Role o Au onomous Sailboa s - A SWOT App oach
S eng hs
Long mission anges – Assuming ha e e y au onomous sailboa has an ene gy managemen sys-
em capable o cha ging a se o in e nal ba e ies, hen hese ehicles ha e p ac ically no limi a ions in
ange and so hey can be used o long e m, la ge scale in-si u da a sampling.
Negligible ope a ional cos s – The cos s o ope a ing an au onomous sailboa a e essen ially
hose associa ed wi h he suppo in as uc u e, such as communica ions, backing pe sonnel and
hypo he ical eme gency escue equipmen .
Po en ial o owing senso s – Au onomous sailboa s ha e no unde wa e mo ing pa s, apa
om he small udde s in he s e n, which ha e a slow and only occasional ac i i y. Thus, i is possible
o ow ex e nal senso s and a ays wi hou he isk o he cables ge ing angled. Wi h a ca e ul design i
is also easible o ins all a winch-d i en sys em ha can be lowe ed in he wa e column in calm egions.
Real ime da a ansmission – Au onomous sailboa s can use a adio o sa elli e link o ansmi
senso da a o a con ol s a ion. This in o ma ion may be in e p e ed by a mission coo dina o o
pe iodically assess he quali y o he senso da a o o al e he ajec o y.
Real ime localiza ion – Using s anda d (and inexpensi e) comme cial o - he-shel echnology,
i is possible o an on-boa d compu e o know he exac loca ion anywhe e in he wo ld, and elay
his in o ma ion back o a con ol s a ion ia adio. I is also ela i ely easy o use edundan acking
de ices, such as A gos sa elli es, o example, o know he posi ion o he sailboa .
Ve y low noise gene a ion – Au onomous sailboa s gene a e a mino amoun o acous ic noise as
compa ed o mo o ized essels.
Weaknesses
Risk o collision – Small sailboa s a e ha d o de ec om a la ge ship ada , so he e is a se ious isk
o ship collision, pa icula ly when c ossing egions wi h la ge ship a ic. The e is also a g ea numbe
o loa ing deb is in he ocean, which can cause se ious damage o he hull in case o collision.
Vulne abili y o bad wea he – When sailing o hund eds o e en housands o miles, i is e y
likely ha a sailboa will encoun e ha sh condi ions. Cu en wea he o ecas can an icipa e incoming
s o ms se e al days in ad ance, which may be use ul o change he cou se o he sailboa . None he-
less, i he wind is no a ou able, i may be impossible o sail away om dange .
Limi ed access o he ocean – Au onomous sailboa s a el a he su ace o he ocean, and so
hey a e bes sui ed o measu e su ace o sub-su ace da a. E en wi h owed o winch-d i en sys ems,
i is no expec ed ha hese ehicles can sample mo e han he e y op laye o he ocean.
Deg ada ion o senso accu acy o e ime – Bio- ouling is a nuisance associa ed wi h long e m
ocean deploymen s. Some oceanog aphic op ic senso s al eady ea u e a e y small wipe ha pe-
iodically cleans he sensing window. Howe e , he g ea majo i y o oceanog aphic senso s equi e
egula main enance o emo e any g ow h and ecalib a ion o ensu e he speci ied accu acy.
Exposu e o andalism – Au onomous sailboa s may be signi ican ly slowe han mo o boa s and
so hey may be a ge s o andalism, pa icula ly close o sho e. This isk may be educed wi h on
boa d came as and wa ning signs.
Impossibili y o ixing a eloci y – Since he eloci y depends on he wind and sea s a e condi-
ions, i is impossible o s ipula e a-p io i he ime ha he boa will ake o comple e a mission.
Oppo uni ies
Real mission scena ios o cu en p o o ypes– Gi en he possibili y o anspo ing oceanog aphic
senso s du ing e y long missions, au onomous sailboa s can play an impo an ole in ocean-scale
sampling. The oppo uni y o wo k 24 hou s a day and anspo ada s and came as ( isual and
in a ed) make hese ehicles a possible ool o coas al su eillance.
Applica ions o u u e p o o ypes – Wi h he de elopmen o ull scale models, i will be possible
o a compu e o con ol a g ea e numbe o sailing ac ions ( old/un old mul iple sails, compensa e he
onboa d weigh dis ibu ion, e c.), mimicking he ac ions pe o med by a sailo in a eal yach . This way,
u u e p o o ypes may be used o es di e en sailing s a egies in he ield.
Th ea s
Absence o applicable legisla ion – The e is a lack o legisla ion ega ding he na iga ion o au-
onomous sailboa s and an hypo he ical es aining legisla ion may comple ely o bid hei deploymen .
Demons a ion ailu e – Al hough all equi ed subsys ems ha e been sepa a ely demons a ed, a
ully au onomous sailboa has ye o be ully alida ed in he ield.
Po encial applica ions o au onomous sailboa s
Ocean Obse a ion
Uppe Ocean Dynamics – The dynamics o bo h he ocean and he a mosphe e a e de e mined by
he ene gy hey exchange. Oceanog aphe s ha e been s udying he p ocesses ha occu in he op
laye o he ocean (eddies, on s, e c), since hey a e ex emely impo an o de ine hese exchanges.
Sailboa s may be an impo an ool o con ibu e o he unde s anding o his in e ac ion, as hey can
ga he ele an da a (bo h hyd ological and a mosphe ic pa ame e s), p ecisely a his bounda y laye .
Ocean ci cula ion – The ocean ci cula ion has di ec impac in many di e en p ocesses, such as
biological ac i i y and clima e a iabili y (Wunsch, 1996). Ci cula ion s udies encompass mul i-scale
measu emen s and he e o e hey can be suppo ed by long- ange au onomous sailboa s. Sailboa s
can be equipped wi h acous ic dopple cu en p o ile s, wi h maximum ange o 1000 me e s.
Chlo ophyll concen a ion – Chlo ophyll concen a ion p o ides a good es ima e o he amoun o
phy oplank on in he ocean ( he basis o he ocean ood chain). This measu emen is egula ly ob ained
by sa elli e o he ocean su ace, bu he scale is e y coa se (She y nogo a and Vyso skaya, 2007).
Au onomous sailboa s can ca y luo ome e s o p o ide complemen a y in-si u da a.
Ocean acous ics – The ac ha au onomous sailboa s a e e y quie makes hem sui able o
acous ic measu emen s in he ocean. These ehicles may anspo wide-band hyd ophones and
eco d acous ic ac i i y h oughou he jou ney. Cu en ly, hese measu emen s a e ou inely ca ied
ou o de ec mammal sounds using d i e s, glide s o AUVs (Fucile e al., 2006).
T acking pollu ion plumes – Sa elli e images a e al eady being used o ack he e olu ion o
pollu ion plumes in he ocean (DiGiacomo e al., 2004). Howe e , he in o ma ion p o ided by sa elli e
measu emen s has e y low esolu ion and only gi es da a in 2 dimensions. Au onomous sailboa s can
anspo ele an senso s (hyd oca bon, dissol ed oxygen, chlo ophyll concen a ion, o example) o
moni o he hickness and he concen a ion o he pollu ion laye .
Calib a ion o basin-wide ocean models – Recen ad ances in he unde s anding o he dynam-
ics o he oceans ha e os e ed he de elopmen o o ecas models (Kelley e al., 2002). Au onomous
sailboa s can p o ide hese models wi h da a om in-si u obse a ions, aken a mul iple scales.
Coas al su eillance
De ec ion and p e en ion o illegal ading – Illegal ading ou es o en include ma i ime i ine a ies,
and so coas al su eillance is essen ial o mi iga e his p oblem. A pseudo- andom dis ibu ion o
sailboa s along he coas , oge he wi h he ins alla ion o 360
o
came as, may p o e o be an e ec i e
ool o de ec ion o illegal ac i i ies and igge u he ac ions om he ele an au ho i ies.
Su eillance o immig a ion ou es – The e a e equen episodes o casual ies in ill-equipped
c a s o e loaded wi h illegal immig an s. Au onomous sailboa s dis ibu ed along he coas wi h isible
and in a ed came as may gua an ee a pe manen p esence, 24 hou s a day.
Mili a y applica ions
Mine coun e measu es – Au onomous sailboa s may be used close o sho e o mine de ec ion using
sidescan o mul ibeam sona s, which may also p o ide high esolu ion hyd og aphic da a. This ype
o mission is al eady being conduc ed wi h AUVs ( on Al e al., 2001), bu he ad an age o using
au onomous sailboa s is ha he da a can be ansmi ed in eal ime o a mo he ship
Coas al su ey – Au onomous sailboa s may be launched om a mo he ship and app oach sho e
wi h isual o in a ed came as moun ed on op o he mas . Since hey ha e educed powe dissipa ion,
hei own in a ed oo p in is minimal and he e o e hey should be able o s ay i ually unno iced.

To al leng h (LOA) 2.50 m
Leng h in he wa e line (LWL) 2.48 m
Maximum wid h (beam) 0.67 m
D a 1.25 m
Displacemen 45 Kg
We su ace 1.0 m2
Ballas 16 Kg
Sail a ea 3.7 m2
Mas heigh 3.4 m
Table 1: Main dimensions o he FEUP Au onomous Sailboa - FAS
S a us o Cu en E o s
Au onomous Sailboa s Ini ia i es
P obably he mos impo an ini ia i e o p omo e he de elopmen o au onomous sailboa s is he
Mic o ansa challenge. The Mic o ansa was i s o ganized in Toulouse, F ance, in June 2006. In
Sep embe 2007, he second edi ion has been hos ed in Abe ys wy h, Wales, in which 2 sailboa s
success ully na iga ed o abou 20 hou s o he Welsh coas . The ul ima e goal o he Mic o ansa is
qui e ambi ious: o c oss he A lan ic Ocean. One o he bes aspec s o he Mic o ansa compe i ion is
he emphasis gi en owa ds he in eg a ion o s uden s in he compe ing eams. In ac , he in ol emen
o s uden s, pa icula ly unde g adua e, in mul idisciplina y p ojec s like hese de ini ely con ibu es o
p o ide a sys ems’ pe spec i e and s ess he bene i s (and su ely he delusions) o eam wo k.
Ac oss he A lan ic, a simila ini ia i e was held in Canada, wi h Sailbo being o ganized in June
2006 by Queen’s Uni e si y. Howe e , he 2007 edi ion, ini ially se o San Diego, was la e canceled.
The FAS p ojec
The FEUP1au onomous sailboa (FAS ) is a small sailing yach capable o ully au onomous na iga-
ion h ough a p ede ined se o ma ks. FAS was cus om designed and buil by a eam o p o esso s
and s uden s o he Depa men o Elec ical and Compu e Enginee ing a FEUP. This boa is a lex-
ible pla o m, sui able o he Mic o ansa challenge and also o applica ions in ocean sampling and
su eillance. The FAS p ojec was launched in he beginning o 2007 wi h wo majo objec i es in mind:
minimize he ene gy equi ed o sailing and p o ide a e icien sailing boa capable o au onomous na -
iga ion unde a b oad ange o wea he condi ions. The Mic o ansa ules es ablish a maximum boa
leng h o 4m, bu we decided o a 2.5m long mono-hull a e scaling down, in leng h and displacemen ,
some mode n and success ul oceanic sailing boa s and keeping he o al weigh no a om he 40Kg
limi ini ially de ined by he Mic o ansa ules. This will also acili a e he launch and anspo a ion,
ei he by owing o on he op o a ca . The design was inspi ed on he mode n acing oceanic yach s,
wi h he hull bo om la a he s e n o induce planning. To inc ease s abili y, he boa has a deep keel
wi h a lead ballas . The ig is a con en ional Ma coni con igu a ion wi h a headsail igged on a small
boom, as used in smalle RC sailing boa s. Main dimensions a e p esen ed in able 1.
Conclusions and u u e wo k
I is cu en ly possible o build au onomous sailboa s using high-pe o mance compu e s and emain-
ing onboa d elec onics equi ing low elec ical powe . A he same ime, a combina ion o high densi y
ba e ies wi h high-pe o mance enewable powe sou ces allows o he ins alla ion o an ene gy man-
agemen sys em wi h inde ini e du a ion. Wi h such a sys em in mind, we ha e iden i ied a se o
applica ions o which he u iliza ion o au onomous sailboa s may p o e o be bo h e ec i e and e i-
cien . Au onomous sailboa s a e jus s a ing o be es ed in eal scena ios. The ou comes om he
app oaching ini ia i es will allow o a be e o ecas on he ue po en ial o using au onomous sailboa s
in he ocean, bu om he p elimina y esul s we a e op imis ic.
1Facul y o Enginee ing o he Uni e si y o Po o
Acknowledgemen s
The au ho s would like o acknowledge he Depa men o Elec ical and Compu e Enginee ing a
FEUP and he companies sponso ing he cons uc ion o FAS , he FEUP Au onomous Sailboa .
Re e ences
B own, M., Kelley, M., and McGill, P. (2001). MBARI e ical p o ile . In P oc. MTS/IEEE Con .
Oceans’01, Honolulu, HI, USA.
C uz, N., Ma os, A., Cunha, S., and Sil a, S. (2007). Za co - an au onomous c a o unde wa e
su eys. In P oc. 7 h Geoma ic Week, Ba celona, Spain.
Cu in, T., Bellingham, J., Ca apo ic, J., and Webb, D. (1993). Au onomous oceanog aphic sampling
ne wo ks. Oceanog aphy, 6(3):86–94.
DiGiacomo, P. M., Washbu n, L., Hol , B., and Jones, B. H. (2004). Coas al pollu ion haza ds in
sou he n Cali o nia obse ed by SAR image y: s o mwa e plumes, was ewa e plumes, and na u-
al hyd oca bon seeps. Ma ine Pollu ion Bulle in, 49:1013–1024.
E iksen, C. C., Osse, T. J., Ligh , R. D., Wen, T., Lehman, T. W., Sabin, P. L., Balla d, J. W., and
Chiodi, A. M. (2001). Seaglide : A long- ange au onomous unde wa e ehicle o oceanog aphic
esea ch. IEEE J. Oceanic Enginee ing, 26(4):424–436.
Fucile, P. D., Singe , R. C., Baumga ne , M., and Ball, K. (2006). A sel con ained eco de o
acous ic obse a ions om AUV’s. In P oc. MTS/IEEE Con . Oceans’06, Bos on, MA, USA.
G i i hs, G., (Ed.) (2003). Technology and Applica ions o Au onomous Unde wa e Vehicles. Taylo
and F ancis, UK.
Kelley, J. G. W., Beh inge , D. W., Thiebaux, H. J., and Balasub amaniyana, B. (2002). Assimila ion
o SST da a in o a eal- ime coas al ocean o ecas sys em o he U.S. Eas Coas . Wea he and
Fo ecas ing, 17:670–690.
Leg and, J., Al onso, M., Bozzano, R., Goasguen, G., Lindh, H., Ribo i, A., Rod igues, I., and Tzia os,
C. (2003). Moni o ing he ma ine en i onmen ope a ional p ac ices in eu ope. In P oc. 3 d In .
Con . Eu oGOOS.
Ma chaj, C. A. (1996). Sail Pe o mance: Techniques o Maximize Sail Powe . In e na ional Ma ine
Publishing.
Maycock, P. and B ad o d, T. (2007). PV ma ke upda e: Demand g ows quickly and supply aces o
ca ch up. Renewable Ene gy Wo ld, 10(4).
Pe e sen, W., Pe scha niko , M., Sch oede , F., and Wehde, H. (2004). Applica ion o a e ybox:
Au oma ic measu emen s in he no h sea. In P oc. MTS/IEEE Techno-Oceans’04, Kobe, Japan.
She y nogo a, A. and Vyso skaya, G. (2007). Long- e m dynamics o chlo ophyll concen a ion in he
ocean su ace laye (by space da a). Ad ances in Space Resea ch, 39(1):197–202.
Skene, N. L. (2001). Elemen s o Yach Design. Sea a e Books, UK.
So eide, N. N., Woody, C. E., and Hol , S. M. (2001). O e iew o ocean based buoys and d i e s:
P esen applica ions and u u e needs. In P oc. MTS/IEEE Con . Oceans’01, Honolulu, HI, USA.
on Al , C., Allen, B., Aus in, T., Fo es e , N., Goldsbo ough, R., Pu cell, M., and S okey, R. (2001).
Hun ing o mines wi h REMUS: A high pe o mance, a o dable, ee swimming unde wa e obo .
In P oc. MTS/IEEE Con . Oceans’01, Honolulu, HI, USA.
Webb, D. C., Simone i, P. J., and Jones, C. P. (2001). SLOCUM: An unde wa e glide p opelled by
en i onmen al ene gy. IEEE J. Oceanic Enginee ing, 26(4):447–452.
Wunsch, C. (1996). The Ocean Ci cula ion In e se P oblem. Camb idge Uni e si y P ess, USA.