This project develops a multifunctional unmanned boat controlled by the Arduino Uno board and ESP8266 module, allowing the boat to move forward and turn left or right.

Hardware Preparation

As seen in the flowchart, the multifunctional unmanned boat receives operational instructions from a mobile app. After receiving the command, the Arduino board sends signals to the drive module to control the operation of the boat’s motors. By adding an LED module to the expansion interface on the Arduino board, we can clearly know whether the ESP8266 module is continuously sending WiFi signals to ensure smooth connectivity.

Data Transmission Module

The data transmission module used in this project is currently the ESP8266 Wi-Fi module. The board’s pin 0 is connected to the RX pin of the ESP8266 CH340 Wi-Fi module, allowing the Arduino UNO board to send data to the ESP8266 module. The board’s pin 1 is connected to the TX pin of the ESP8266 CH340 Wi-Fi module, returning the information received by the ESP8266 back to the board. The board’s “3.3V” and “GND” pins are connected to the “VCC” and “GND” of the ESP8266 CH340 Wi-Fi module for power supply.

The Arduino UNO board processes the data collected by the ESP8266 and forwards the meaning of the data to a designated port for remote control.

Motor Drive Module

The motor driver module used in this project employs motor driver modules, with the two motors serving as the left and right propellers of the unmanned boat, controlling the operational state of the boat. The specific connection method is as follows: first, connect the GND pin of any port on the expansion board to the GND pin of the motor. The motor’s VCC pin connects to the relay, and the other pin of the relay connects to any port’s VCC on the expansion board. Finally, use a three-headed binding wire to connect the relay’s signal pin to pin 9 on the expansion board; the other motor follows the same principle, but the signal pin connects to pin 11.

When the mainboard receives operational instructions from the terminal, it controls both motors to work simultaneously for forward movement. To turn right, the right motor is turned off while the left motor continues to operate, and vice versa for turning left.

Power Supply Module

This project uses a power bank for direct power supply, employing intelligent protection. The battery’s wiring is connected to the Arduino UNO board for use. Due to tight time constraints, only a power bank can be used; a subsequent addition of an 18V battery will provide power. Under current working conditions, the unmanned boat’s endurance exceeds 2 hours, meeting most operational requirements.

LED Module

When the ESP8266 module switches to softAP mode, it can start WiFi data transmission. When switching to this mode, the LED module is assigned a high level to indicate that the ESP8266 module is ready, eliminating the need for us to repeatedly refresh the phone’s WiFi to check its operational status, thus simplifying the debugging process. During operation, we can also use this module to determine the reason for the unmanned boat’s non-operation.

Hull Design

The unmanned boat in this project is a small boat, with foam boards added evenly at the four corners of the hull to increase buoyancy. The plastic hull design’s advantage is to enhance overall buoyancy and improve endurance. It uses a combination of dual high-speed motors and dual propellers, allowing for fast forward movement. Due to time constraints, this is the current design. If time permits, 3D printing technology could be used to design a smaller hull to reduce resistance and increase speed while decreasing power consumption.

Terminal Application Design

01. Create a new project name in the Smart Cloud Developer Center

Custom

02. Enter the project

03. Click the new button to create the required data points and select to write

04. Generate the code package in MCU development and download

05. Unzip the downloaded file and copy the Gizwits folder into the Arduino IDE 1.8.10 library

06. Open Arduino IDE and open the files in Gizwits under these two paths

07. Copy the relevant data point trigger code from simpleTry.ino to the void loop() in networkConfig.ino

08. Because we connected the two relays to pins 9 and 11 and defined the LED module, we need to define them at the beginning of the code

09. The two relays need to be set to output mode, so set them in the void setup() of the code

10. In the main function, we created three data points named go, right, and left. Therefore, we need to write the trigger code for these three data points in the void loop()

Under the go data point, both relays are activated, while only one is activated for right and left.

Click the new button to create the required data points and select to write

Static Debugging

To ensure the safety of testing, before the unmanned boat enters actual application, it is necessary to conduct a hull dryness test in the laboratory to check if sealing is required to avoid unnecessary weight and to choose the placement of the mainboard components for better protection. Verify whether the motors, ESP8266 Wi-Fi, and various sensor modules operate normally on water, whether data transmission is stable, and whether the power supply module used away from the computer supports the entire system’s operation. After testing, conduct underwater tests in the laboratory pool, and repeat the tests to check the status of each module. After confirming the hull’s sealing is correct, proceed to actual water application.

Conclusion

This project studies a multifunctional unmanned boat developed based on Arduino. Leveraging the boat’s small size, high integration, and flexible operation, it combines multiple modules to endow the unmanned boat with communication, positioning, and monitoring capabilities, allowing it to operate in various fields such as water quality monitoring, water patrol, and water rescue. By using graphical programming software, a user-friendly interface is designed, facilitating users to develop according to actual needs. Therefore, this project can be applied in real life and has good prospects.