Open-source boat autopilot for cheap trolling motors(reddit.com)

I posted about an earlier version of this project here a few years ago. I always wanted to continue it, but life happened: house, kids, work, and suddenly project time disappeared. The old version worked, but it was five-year-old code, so I did what most people think about doing when they look at old code - I started from scratch. The project is called Vanchor. It is a different kind of robot than what is usually posted here, but still a robot :) Vanchor is an open-source GPS anchor/autopilot system for smaller boats using cheap electric trolling motors. The target is small fishing boats, kayaks, and other small boats with trolling motors (focused on bow mounted currently). The idea is to turn a cheap trolling motor into a simple autonomous boat-control system. Main functions: Hold position, similar to spot-lock Hold heading Follow waypoints Follow a shoreline Follow a depth contour Move between fishing spots Work around an island or structure Drift or orbit around an area Follow APB data from a plotter Test behaviour in simulation before using real hardware It is not meant to replace OpenCPN, chartplotters, or proper marine navigation. It is more focused than that: small-boat control for fishing and DIY automation. The new version has among a lot other features: Python-based controller Local web UI for phone/tablet use Simulator based on Fossen’s 3-DOF marine craft model GPS/IMU hardware support Driver system for custom hardware Location and heading from phone sensors through the PWA app, where supported Depth contours Catch logging GPX waypoint import Several fishing-focused control modes Early PCB designs Early 3D-printable servo/control models One thing I wanted to fix from the old version was the wiring. The boat setup quickly turned into a crow’s nest of wires, and debugging loose connections in a boat is not fun. Especially when you just want to catch some perch. So this version also has early PCB designs for a cleaner setup, plus 3D-printable servo/control models. The simulator is one of the more useful parts right now. It makes it possible to test control behaviour without having the boat, water, GPS, IMU, and motor driver available at the same time. The project is still early, but it is now at the point where outside feedback would be useful. Any feedback is appreciated. Especially feedback on the PCB. It looks fine when I inspect it, but it has been years since I designed my own, much simpler, PCB. And yes, even the 3D models and PCB designs were created with Fable. Without it, I would never have found the time to pull this together. So far, I am quite impressed by it. https://preview.redd.it/5u1eld6qlwbh1.png?width=3708&format=png&auto=webp&s=daa0ec1e2f3685177b538af5c972931e268b6c0a Repos: Main project: https://github.com/AlexAsplund/vanchor PCB designs: https://github.com/AlexAsplund/vanchor-pcb CAD models: https://github.com/AlexAsplund/vanchor-cad submitted by /u/aasplunds [link] [Kommentare]