A feasibility study on the design, development and operation of an automated oceanic wave surface glider robot

Abstract

As oceanic research continues to grow for scientific and commercial purposes, demand for knowledge pertaining to the ocean continues to increase. This research investigates a Wave Glider that was developed by engineers for the purpose of collecting data from oceans. The Wave Glider is a novel two-body unmanned surface vehicle (USV). Compared to traditional unmanned surface vehicles, the Wave Glider has the unique advantage of long term navigation ability. With this advantage, the vehicle can complete missions which require long-term ocean trials. This research project is focused on studying the feasibility of improving the design and operation of the Wave Glider and further developing its capabilities. To obtain real-time data, a scale model based on the original Wave Glider design has been manufactured. Improvement to the original design has already been achieved with regards to improving the stability of the wings. Based on a literature review, some concern was found over its robustness when trialing and this is addressed in this paper. Throughout this research, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis has been done on the Wave Glider to ensure optimum efficiency. Furthermore, CAD design of the scaled model has been reviewed to ensure success in manufacturing and operation. The Wave Glider model will be used to collect real time data for comparison with simulated data. Additional improvements included in the model will also be discussed.