Employees of the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Urban Solutions, together with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), have created an unmanned jet ski that travels through the canals of Amsterdam.
The new standalone solution is called Roboat. Initially, it was conceived as an autonomous public transport: its early versions were similar to floating platforms, so the developers proposed to expand coastlines or even form floating bridges.
In 2020, the authors presented a smaller version of such a transport with a length of two meters. She was equipped with advanced navigation technology.
At the end of October 2021, researchers showed the new Roboat III: it is four meters long and can carry up to five passengers. Vehicles move using one navigation technology based on lidar, GPS and a set of cameras that create a 360-degree picture of the environment.
To steer the Roboat III from point A to point B, the data collected by the sensors about obstacles and potential collisions is fed to the control algorithm, which, based on the results of data processing, gives instructions on the direction and speed.
The Roboat III has an adaptable hull that allows the upper decks to reshape depending on the job at hand. Therefore, you can sit on it or transport goods.
Thus, we can use the Roboat III even at night to collect trash and move building materials.
Tefan van Dijk, Director of Innovation at the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Urban Solutions
