Cloud-Based Integrated Power Management and Path Planning System for Renewable Energy Unmanned Surface Vehicles

Marine data is vital for protecting fisheries, understanding climate change’s impact, and supporting ocean industry.
However, collecting data is costly, challenging, and time-consuming. Renewable energy powered unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) offer a promising solution for marine data collection due to their maneuverability, sensor
payload, and ease of use. Yet, uncertain environmental factors lead to intermittent energy harvesting, requiring an efficient power management strategy for renewable energy USVs on long missions. Existing solutions focus on
reducing energy consumption but overlook improving energy generation. Additionally, they rely on costly onboard computational capabilities. To address these issues, we developed a cloud-based integrated path planning and power management system (IPP-PMS). This revolutionary solution optimally allocates, generates, and consumes power under varying environmental conditions. Implementing our IPP-PMS enhances USV capabilities, minimizes costs, and allows for longer missions, leading to more extensive data collection and a deeper understanding of our oceans and marine ecosystems.

Faculty Supervisor:

Yang Shi

Student:

Partner:

Springboard Atlantic Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Green/Alternative Energy; Technology; Ocean Tech

University:

University of Victoria

Program: