How can I simulate a USV/ASV using MATLAB/Simscape?

Hi,

I'm looking for a simulator where I can validate the math models of my custom ASV which has a manipulator attached underneath it, without the need to calculate hydrodynamics myself.

I found a presentation 'Design and Simulation of Autonomous Surface Vessels | MATLAB Day for Marine Robotics & Autonomous Systems, Part 4' where Simscape was introduced for modelling and simulating a ASV with hydrodynamics applied. The model I'm referring to is in the picture below (at 5:00 in the video in Link)

I'm specifically interested in the water environment which the ASV interacts with. I'm wondering how I can apply the hydrodynamics (buoyancy, drag, added mass, etc) to any custom ASV (which can have other body parts such as a manipulator) without having to derive and put equtions in the simulator.

Thank you very much.

Answer 1

[Yash Sharma]

Hi Hangyeol,

I understand that you have an ASV(Autonomous Surface Vehicle) model and want to simulate its hydrodynamics (buoyancy, drag, added mass, etc) in Simscape, but Simscape does not model the environment around your system, except for the gravity acceleration. To include hydrodynamics affects you can use the “External Force and Torque” block. For example, buoyancy would be a constant upward force (in the world reference frame) depending on the geometry of the solid and the mass of the surrounding fluid.

Please find the documentation of the “External Force and Torque” block below:

https://in.mathworks.com/help/sm/ref/externalforceandtorque.html

Hope it Helps!