Design and Development of an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) for Hydrographic Survey

Abstract

The demand for efficient hydrographic surveying in shallow and hazardous waters highlights the limitations of conventional manned survey platforms. Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USVs) have emerged as versatile maritime platforms for autonomous operations in both civilian and defense applications. This study presents the design of a USV for hydrographic surveys that can operate autonomously or remotely in marine environments. With a stable catamaran hull, Brushless DC motor drive, and Lithium Polymer battery power, the USV has enhanced endurance, real-time data communication, and consistent performance. In this paper, the CFD simulations were conducted to evaluate the hydrodynamic resistance offered by the hull under steady forward motion in calm water using open source CFD software, OpenFOAM, after necessary validation. While the static stability analysis was performed using Paramarine software. A physical prototype was constructed and operated in a controlled environment. Simulations and field trials substantiated its effectiveness and underscored its applicability to marine research, monitoring, and commercial applications. The developed USV demonstrated a hydrostatically stable and maneuverable design with support for adequate payload capacity.