Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of California, San Diego, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 71-72).

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, 1979. / Grant no.: 04-7-158-44079. Photocopy of typescript. Bibliography: p. 142-144.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Meteorology, 1980. / Microfiche copy available in Archives and Science. / Bibliography: leaves 77-78. / by William Kurt Dewar. / M.S.

Standard GPS receivers are unable to provide the rate or precision required when used on a small vessel such as an Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs). To overcome this, the thesis presents a low cost high rate motion measurement system for an USV with underwater and oceanographic purposes. The work integrates an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), a GPS receiver, a flux-gate compass, a tilt sensor and develops a software package, using real time data fusion methods, for an USV to aid in the navigation and control as well as controlling an onboard Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP).While ADCPs non-intrusively measure water flow, they suffer from the inability to discriminate between motions in the water column and self-motion. Thus, the vessel motion contamination needs to be removed to analyze the data and the system developed in this thesis provides the motion measurements and processing to accomplish this task. / by Chrystel Gelin. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

The design, implementation, and testing of an experimental setup intended to evaluate the dynamic maneuvering performance of the Wave Adaptive Modular Vessel (WAM-V) class USV12, a 3.7 meter unmanned surface vehicle (USV) is described. A comprehensive sensor package was designed, fabricated and assembled to record the vehicle's dynamic response to various control inputs. All subsystems were fabricated and installed on a test vehicle, GUSS, and full system, open-loop maneuvering tests were conducted to show validity of data collection technique. Simulations were performed using model parameters found in the literature to create a "simulated experimental" data set, upon which system identification techniques were used to rediscover a suitable model with similar parameterization. Combined, the sensor package and the method for creating this model support future work in the design of automatic control, navigation, and guidance systems for the WAM-V USV12. / by Janine L. Mask. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

The design and integration of an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) control system is described. A survey of related work in both USV control, and unmanned vehicle operating software is presented. The hardware subsystem comprising a modular Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) package is explained. A multi-threaded software architecture is presented, utilizing a decentralized, mutex-protected shared memory inter-process communication subsystem to provide interoperability with additional software modules. A generic GNC approach is presented, with particular elaboration on a virtual rudder abstraction of differential thrust platforms. A MATLAB Simulink simulation is presented as a tool for developing an appropriate controller structure, the result of which was implemented on the target platform. Software validation is presented via a series of sea trials. The USV was tested both in open- and closed-loop control configurations, the results of which are presented here. Lastly recommendations for future development of the GNC system are enumerated. / by Thomas C. Furfaro. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2012. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

The goal of this thesis is to develop a test platform for measuring surface effect ship (SES) response to wave loads. The platform is designed and built incorporating a self-propelled vehicle with data acquisition and navigation capabilities. Theoretical analysis is performed, various hardware and electronic parts are designed and built and software applications developed. Wave tank experiments are conducted for test platform evaluation and determination of vehicle response to a range of wave conditions. Furthermore, a three-dimensional model of the AIRCAT scale model SES is created. The theoretical analysis shows that the scale effects in some cases are great, so resonance phenomena cannot be observed. The experimental results clearly show that the heave, pitch and aircushion excess pressure fluctuations increase as the air-blower input level increases. The bow skirt arrangement needs improvements and further experimentation is necessary in order to draw conclusions about the wave loads applied on the skirt. / by Nicholas Kouvaras. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ocean E)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Ocean Engineering, 1979. / Supervised by Ole Secher Madsen and William D. Grant. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-144).

Thesis. 1975. M.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Meteorology. / Bibliography: leaves 70-72. / M.S.