| dc.description.abstract | This thesis presents an unmanned surface vessel (USV) which was designed with the goal of providing a low-cost, highly accessible, and autonomous platform for water quality inspection and monitoring in coastal areas and fjords. Traditional water quality monitoring methods often require expensive equipment and highly trained personnel, limiting their accessibility and scalability. Solutions for this present unmanned surface vessels which can be used for water quality inspection, but are often too expensive and time consuming to deploy. By contrast, the solar-powered USV based on a stand-up-paddle (SUP) board offers a fast, easy-to-deploy, and highly maneuverable platform for water quality investigation and monitoring. The USV is equipped with solar panels to reduce its reliance on external power sources and various sensors for water quality investigation and monitoring. The use of Ardupilot facilitates the operation of the vessel, which can be controlled remotely from a shore-based station. All hardware is housed in cases mounted to an aluminum frame, which provides durability. The USV was tested at 30% and 50% throttle, and it was found to be more efficient at 30% throttle, providing power for three hours of operation, provided enough sunlight. However, future work aims to improve the solidity of the frame, fine-tune the PID controller of the vessel, and map the sensor data taken during missions. The use of off-the-shelf components with high market availability makes the USV a viable option for mass production, costing around 50.000NOK. The development of the USV offers a promising solution for affordable and accessible water quality monitoring and inspection, which is crucial for maintaining the health of coastal ecosystems and preserving the livelihoods of coastal communities. | en_US |
