Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Unpersoned sailboat race
From: ed.korn@mecheng.fullfeed.com (Ed Korn)
Path: brunix!sgiblab!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!daffy!uwvax!gorgon!fullfeed!mecheng!ed.korn
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <af.3251.33.0NAF673D@mecheng.fullfeed.com>
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 94 12:55:00 -0600
Organization: MechEng / American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Lines: 141

And the replies are in (from rec.boats and com.robotics), but first the
question again:

>Let's say someone put up prize money for a transatlantic sailboat
>race...Unmanned (Unpersoned?). What sort of rules would make it
>interesting?

>To keep the cost modest
>  Maximum boat length: small sailing dinghy size, say 8 ft.
>  Motive power must come from the wind (windmill drives are OK).

>To keep it interesting
>  Position report at least once a day.
>  Sea state and wind condition report once a day
>  A minimum of three competitors.

>What else?

Put a price cap on it or maybe classes say < $5000 and unlimited.

A smaller scale of lake racers might also be of interest say 4 feet and
$1000 limit or a handicap of (time * K)/cost.

Another approach would be to enlist the aid of your local Ham radio
operator.  This would have the added advantage of having ears all over
the world that could listen for the signals and pass along the
info.

You would want to establish how the boat is controlled. Options would
be:
  a) Radio Controlled, where new instructions were sent via the
   radio.

  b) self contained program, adjusting for wind and current all on
     it's own self contained programming.

  c) Fixed course.  Like having the auto pilot turned on.

  d) fixed wind heading.


Real-Time Control:  Real-time remote control of the model shall only be
permitted when the model is within a specified distance of the start or
finish line.  This real-time control shall be limited  to steering only.

Imagine walking into, say, the Explorers & relieving the watch at
the virtual helm. *Yikes*

If something goes wrong, which is inevitable on the water, your sailboat
is done for.

the limit we settled on was *maximum* all-up weight. One of the problems
with a zero-handed race is the risk of damaging some unsuspecting
cruiser.... Also, if the weight limit is set low (say 500 kilos or about
1100 LB) then it would be very difficult (but not impossible - maybe) to
make the crossing with a multihull. We also wrote in a requirement for
the bow(s) to be of crushable foam, so even if this 1100 lb. contraption
does crash into your cruising sailboat in the middle of the night, the
result is not likely to be catastrophic.

What about collision avoidance:
Would it have  radar reflectors or would you just take a risk?
Would it have to (or could it legally) use navigation lights?
Would it have to "keep watch" for its self? or would the rules/law let
it just go blind.

Also boat design to me to keep the cost down it would appear better to
have a one design boat design and rig shape with a minimum weight so the
rig and hull shape are the same say an "Illusion" mini 12 meter (aprox
12 foot).

Should the boat have to sail into port or across a finish line or mearly
on to or near the coast?

However, I see the biggest problem as collision avoidance, and
attendant safety issues.

Collision Damage Control:  The forward most cubic meter of hull volume
shall be constructed entirely of polyurethane or polystyrene foam having
a density not to exceed 10 kg/cubic meter. A non-structural hard surface
finish of specified thickness and material may be used over the foam.
Each hull of a multihull model shall meet this requirement.

Single handers already bend the international regs concerning keeping
watch. This kind of stuff seems totally illegal.

For a "vessel," you're probably right. For a "model," I don't think so.
But that's one of the arguments for keeping the model small, the weight
low, and the PR low-key until the project is underway.

Also, would the salvage rules allow anyone to grab your boat?

There is also the problem of tossing your hardware out there for some
pirate to grab, but I gather you anticipate close monitoring within busy
areas

Electrical Power Generation:  Electrical power shall be generated only
by on-board devices that do not consume fossil fuel.


So in summary;

If we put a price cap on the competitors, is $5000 reasonable for this
sort of technology, or can we go lower?

Just how low a weight limit can we specify? A low limit seems to solve
the radar reflector, nav lights, and liability problems all at once.

Cross the Atlantic, or something more modest?

I sort of assumed that Hams would be involved. If my news feed carried
the ham groups I would have posted there also. WOULD SOMEONE care to act
as liaison to the amateur radio groups?

I also assumed that if something went wrong on the water the boat would
be lost.

How much prize money would it take, or would recognition from a big time
corporate sponsor be sufficient?

What magazines or mailing lists would be appropriate venues to advertise
in?

Don't ask me who this we is I keep talking about...If you build it he
will come.

I want to thank the following for their suggestions:

Gordon Couger  GCOUGER@OLESUN.OKSTATE.EDU
Neal Howland  Nhowland@matt.ksu.ksu.edu
cmcmanis@pepper.Eng.Sun.COM (Chuck McManis)
Steve Morris  Sjm@yar.ptltd.com
Michael Cleary  cleary@ccs.neu.edu
Rmcinnis@mv.us.adobe.com
Gerrit  A.G.Shaw@Bradford.ac.uk
Dirk John Fischer am883@yfn.ysu.edu
Michael Jenkin  FULLFEED!OTTER.CS.YORKU.CA!JENKIN
J Gregory Fullfeed!lofttech.com!jgg
Robert Berger  RWB@ALEXANDER.VI.RI.CMU.EDU
The ZHTA Challenge group
and especially Call me Fishmeal  Fishmeal@netcom.com
