We are thrilled to announce Njord's physical autonomous challenge of 2023!

The competition will consist of a series of tests to evaluate the performance and capabilities of the teams' vessel. Here, teams will have the opportunity to showcase their skills by designing and building a fully autonomous surface vessel. The design must comply with the technical specifications outlined in the competition's guidelines to be eligible for the challenge.

In addition to the physical challenge, we also encourage teams to create a digital twin of their physical vessel. This approach allows teams to simulate and test their autonomous systems efficiently and cost-effectively, without the need to launch the actual ASV. This approach allows teams to optimize their design, test and debug their systems in a safe and controlled environment and to improve their ASVs' performance before the physical challenge.

We are excited to see the creativity and innovation that teams will bring to this challenge and we look forward to seeing the fully autonomous surface vessels in action. This is a great opportunity for teams to showcase their skills, push the boundaries of autonomous technology and to demonstrate the potential of autonomous systems in the marine industry.

Any unfulfilled requirements or other deviations from the technical requirements and specifications will be subject to the judgement of the jury, and may result in penalties or disqualification.

This Handbook covers the physical part of the Njord Challenge. However, there is also a digital challenge for teams who wish to only supply software and not build a physical vessel. This competition is designed for teams to showcase their skills in developing autonomous guidance systems for marine vessels.

The competition will use a digital simulator to test systems in key areas such as maneuvering, collision avoidance, docking, and situational awareness. This is a great opportunity for teams to gain hands-on experience with autonomous guidance systems.

You can find the technical specifications for the digital competition here.

4.2.1 Autonomy

When competing in the different challenges, teams will not be allowed to to actively control the vessel remotely. In other words, the vessel must be fully autonomous while competing in the different categories. The sole exceptions to this are when switching the vessel into ‘autonomous mode’, and when activating the kill switch in case of emergency.

4.2.2 Buoyancy and stability

The vessel must be positively buoyant and stable enough to be determined seaworthy.

4.2.3 Remote Control Capabilities

Participating ships must be able to be remotely controlled from land in case of a malfunction or emergency. The vessel will also be remotely operated during launch and recovery, as well as between challenges. All forms of propulsion and steering must be remotely controllable.

4.2.4 Launching

Participating ships must be able to be launched and recovered by crane. Therefore teams must clearly mark the centre of gravity on the hull to simplify the lifting operation, and have incorporated either anchor points or space for lifting slings.

4.2.5 Kill Switch

Participating ships must have a clearly visible and accessible kill switch physically on board the ship, which disengages all motorized moving parts. Additionally, there must be a remotely controllable kill switch with the same function.

Teams must also implement a “naturally off system with delay”. This should function in a way that turns off all autonomous movement after a team has lost radio communication with their vessel for 60 seconds. This is an extra safety in case one loses radio communication.

4.2.6 Marking

All sharp, pointy, moving or other sensitive parts must be covered and marked.

Note: All forms of powered propulsion must be electrical.

4.4.1 Battery

All batteries must be sealed to reduce the hazard from acid or caustic electrolytes. The open circuit voltage may not exceed 60V [DC]. During the 2023 competition, Njord will be able to lend batteries to participating teams. The reason for this is to simplify the transport of the team's vessels to Trondheim, and to ensure that the batteries comply with safety standards. The teams are not required to utilize the provided batteries, but are responsible for ensuring that their chosen batteries are within safety requirements. There will be professional personnel present at the competition approving the teams’ power supply arrangement before teams are allowed to compete.

4.4.1.1 Documentation and general requirements

All battery cells used in the competition must be commercially available. The teams must disclose all data related to the batteries in the Technical Report. This must include a detailed overview of the battery setup and the “materials safety data sheet” which is supplied by the manufacturer. The purpose of this data is to provide Njord with necessary information in case of an emergency. For teams planning on utilizing energy sources other than lithium battery cells, they must contact Njord for further detailed requirements.

3.4.1.2 Housing, fastening and material selection

• The batteries and the housing must be designed such that they will remain fixed in the case of the boat capsizing.

• The battery housing must ensure that no electrolyte could flow out of the housing in case of a battery malfunction.

• The housing must also be constructed of materials resistant to the electrolyte of batteries, as well as being fire-resistant.

4.4.1.3 Battery Management System (BMS)

• A properly functioning BMS must be installed with the purpose of monitoring all individual battery cells.

• The system must monitor both the battery’s voltage and temperature. It must also be capable of shutting down the system when necessary.

• The BMS must be capable of shutting down when voltage, currents (charge and discharge) or temperature is outside the specified safety limit according to the manufacturer.

4.4.1.4 Testing

• A demonstration of the BMS (voltage levels of the cells) must be shown to Njord during the testing of the vessel.

• Njord does not take responsibility for incorrect functioning of the BMS, unbalanced battery cells or any other kinds of failures of the batteries that may appear during testing.

4.4.2 Speed

The vessel must at no time exceed the speed limit, which is set to 5 knots. This is important to ensure a safe competition without any unwanted collisions or accidents.

4.3.1 Main dimensions

4.3.2 Antenna

Antennas are allowed to be built over the height limit as long as there are no sensors attached or built over the height limit.

4.3.3 Visual Indicators

All three lights must be visible from all directions.

4.3.4 Example hull

To encourage a focus on the autonomy component of the challenge, an example hull design is offered to teams which they are free to use or modify. Teams are not required to utilize the example hull. To the contrary, creativity and innovation will be rewarded, so deviating from the example hull may be beneficial. Below you can see an illustration of the example hull which is provided by our bronze sponsor Sintef Ocean! This will be published as a digital CAD-file for teams at a later date.

The 2023 physical competition will consist of 4 categories: Maneuvering and Navigation, Docking, Collision Avoidance and a Technical Report. For the first three there will be different challenges with an increasing degree of difficulty. Teams are encouraged to use Gemini prior to the competition to efficiently test their systems.

Each team is alloted a maximum of 30 minutes pr. task, and only one attempt pr subtask.

2 NJORD CHALLENGE 2023

2.1 The Digital Challenge 2.2 The Physical Challenge

3 OVERVIEW

3.1 Dates & Venue 3.2 Schedule 3.3 Rolling start

4 TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

4.1 About the Requirements 4.2 General Requirements 4.3 Hull Specification 4.4 Propulsion Specification 4.5 Testing Prior to Competition

5 TIMELINE

5.1 Important Deadlines 5.2 TeamTime

6 TASK DESCRIPTIONS

6.1 General 6.2 Sea Markers 6.3 Maneuvering and Navigation 6.4 Docking 6.5 Collision Avoidance

7 EVALUATION 7.1 Scoring 7.2 Submission of data 7.3 Technical Design Report 7.4 Jury

7 REGISTRATION OF TEAMS

7.1 How to register 7.2 Deposit

The competition will take place from Monday 14th of August to Friday 18th of August in 2023.

The location is a cultural venue called Havet Arena, situated just outside of Trondheim City Centre.

Welcome to the Njord Challenge 2023 Handbook!

This guide has been designed to provide you with all the information you need to participate in the upcoming autonomous ship challenge.

Inside, you'll find information about the physical challenge. You can learn about registration, time schedule, and important deadlines, as well as technical specifications, test criteria, and the technical report.

We hope this handbook will serve as a valuable resource as you prepare for the Njord Challenge 2023.

The Handbook may be updated up until the Challenge in order to ensure clear and reasonable guidelines. If changes are made, all participants will be notified.

Teams are assigned unique numbers at the start of the competition. A random draw determines the starting participant, creating excitement. On Tuesday, the 15th, at 10:00 AM, the chosen team begins, marking the official start. A new draw will be done at the start of each day.

Upon completion or forfeiture in a category, the next team starts promptly, ensuring a time buffer and a dynamic flow, replacing fixed start times. This fosters camaraderie as teams are forced to be present, enhancing the experience for participants and spectators.

The competition course will mainly consist of floating buoys and a few cardinal marks. These elements are used to guide the ASVs through the course and to indicate the path they should follow. The teams' vessel must be equipped with sensors and navigation systems that can detect and interpret the markers, allowing the vessel to navigate around or through the obstacle.

Buoys:

The floating buoys will be of different colors, with each color indicating a specific instruction or direction for the ASVs. They will be placed strategically to define the course paths and objectives.

Cardinal marks:

Cardinal marks are used to indicate the cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west) and to provide a reference point for the ASVs. These marks will be placed at strategic locations along the course to help the ASVs navigate and stay on track.

Specifications:

The sea markers have the following specifications:

The sea markers have the following dimensions:

A dataset of photos of the markers (Red, Green, East, West) is provided by a Google drive link.

The first category for the 2023 competition is Maneuvering and Navigation. The vessel will receive four GPS points which the vessel must safely navigate to. In the more complex challenges, the vessel must navigate the waters according to the sea markers. Different types of navigational sea markers will be utilized.

The task demonstrates the vessels' ability to manoeuvre and navigate within any given pathway. Contact with the sea markers should be avoided, and the vessel should stay within the pathway throughout the entire course. There will be three different tasks as shown below. Note that the vessel must be able to interpret cardinal markers and navigate accordingly.

Task 1.1

OBJECTIVE:

Section 1: Starting from GPS point 1, the ASV must navigate efficiently between gates 1 and 2, keeping a safe distance from the buoys. Demonstrates the ability to stay at the course as well as the ability to spot buoys in a distance.

Section 2: Gates are now spaced closer, and simple turns are introduced. Demonstrates the ability to chart an optimal route along a non-linear path.

TASK ELEMENTS

TASK GUIDELINE

Step 1:

You are at the dock and it is your turn.

Step 2:

You are given a clear signal from the chief marshall to steer your vessel to GPS point 1 of Task 1.1. This shall be done through Remote Control.

Step 3:

Once given the go-ahead from the chief marshall, you must switch to Autonomous Mode, and your ASV may start its attempt at Task 1.1. Your turn starts when the ASV crosses the first gate.

If the ASV goes out of bounds during the track, it can again be switched into Remote Control mode and steered back on track to the point where it went out of bounds. This applies to all subtasks.

Step 4:

Once you pass the final gate of task 1.1, your attempt finishes. Then your ASV shall go to the next GPS point 2 and stay stationary there, waiting for the go-ahead to proceed. You may switch to Remote Control if needed.

Task 1.2

OBJECTIVE

After passing GPS point 2, the ASV shall perform a 360-degree turn, while proceeding towards GPS point 3. This task can be solved in many ways.

TASK ELEMENTS

TASK GUIDELINE

Step 1:

Once given the go-ahead, you must again activate Autonomous Mode, and your ASV may start its attempt at Task 1.2. Your attempt starts once given the go-ahead.

Step 2:

Your attempt finishes once reaching GPS point 3. Then your ASV shall stay stationary at the GPS-point 3, waiting for the go-ahead to proceed. You may switch to Remote Control if needed.

Task 1.3

OBJECTIVE

The ASV will face a total of two cardinal markers inside a straight channel of red and green gates. The cardinal markers provide information on what side to pass the buoy and avoid danger. This will result in a S-line path, towards the end at GPS point 4.

TASK ELEMENTS

TASK GUIDELINE

Step 1:

Once given the go-ahead from the chief marshall, you must again activate Autonomous Mode, and your ASV may start its attempt at Task 1.3. Your turn starts when the ASV crosses the first gate.

Step 2:

Once you pass the final gate of task 1.3, your attempt finishes. Then your ASV shall stop at GPS-point 4 and stay stationary there. You may switch to Remote Control

Step 3:

When the Chief Marshall gives the go-ahead, you may steer the ASV safely back to the dock in Remote Control.

Team’s vessels are to be tested in the following before they are allowed to compete:

• Stability and Buoyancy: The vessel's ability to maintain a stable and level position in the water, as well as its ability to float, will be tested. This is important for ensuring the safety and overall performance of the vessel.

• Propulsion: The vessel's propulsion system, including the motor(s) and propeller(s), will be tested to ensure that they are functioning correctly and providing the necessary thrust to propel the vessel. This is important for ensuring the vessel can move at the desired speed and maneuverability.

• Steering: The vessel's steering system will be tested to ensure that they are working properly and providing the necessary control to steer the vessel. This is important for ensuring the vessel can navigate the course and compete effectively.

• Visual Indicators: The vessel's visual indicators, such as lights and flags, will be tested to ensure that they are visible and functioning correctly. This is important for ensuring the safety of the crew and other boats on the water.

• Power Supply Arrangement: The vessel's power supply, including batteries and charging systems, will be tested to ensure that they are functioning correctly and providing the necessary power to operate the vessel. This is important for ensuring the vessel can compete for the full duration of the event.

• Kill switches: An emergency stop mechanism, also known as a kill switch, will be tested to ensure that it is working properly and that the vessel can be shut down quickly in case of emergency. This is important for ensuring the safety of the crew and other boats on the water.

Other components that may be tested include navigation and communication systems, safety equipment, and overall compliance with competition regulations.

Teams will have to pay a deposit of 1000 NOK in order to register for the 2023 competition. Teams will have to deliver the technical report as a minimum effort to have their deposit returned after the competition. Upon registration you will be sent the details regarding payment.

We would like all participating teams to submit the following data in a .csv-file, for easier and more neutral judgment of the performance of your vessel. The data columns should be separated with “,” (comma) and the "." (dot) should be used as a decimal separator.

It is critical that the data is provided in the listed order, also the first row (header) of your file must contain the variable name.

The order of the data to be provided is a follows:

1. Latitude

2. Longitude

3. Altitude

4. Heading

5. Speed over ground

6. Power consumption

7. Percentage of battery left

8. The length of your timestep

9. Other parameters you would wish to include

GPS-coordinates should be in LLA-format, as Latitude, Longitude and Altitude. This is chosen because it is a simple and common GPS-format. It is also not certain that all participating teams use and follow the correct maritime and GNSS-standards.

These other parameters must be specified in the first row, and they should be accompanied by a message or some sort of documentation, telling us why this data is provided and how it should be interpreted and presented.

If additional data is provided, we also wish you to provide the code for us to interpret and present it.

Our Jury consists of the following members from our sponsors:

The third category is collision avoidance. The vessel must reach a destination without colliding with realistic obstacles. It should navigate the waters according to the COLREGs. The moving obstacles should be expected to either head directly towards the ASV, or simply cross its path. The ASV should pass the moving obstacle on the correct side.

Task 3.1

OBJECTIVE:

The ASV will go from GPS-point 8 to GPS-point 9, and face the marker vessel on its path. In this task the marker vessel will stand still. The ASV shall detect the marker vessel and pass it safely.

ELEMENTS:

TASK GUIDELINES:

Step 1:

You are at the dock and it is your turn.

Step 2:

You are given the clear signal from the Chief Marshall to steer your vessel to GPS-point 8 of Task 3.1. This shall be done through Remote Control.

Step 3:

Once given the go-ahead from the Chief Marhsall, you must switch to Autonomous Mode, and your ASV may start its attempt at Task 3.1. Your turn starts when the ASV crosses the first gate.

Step 4:

Once observing the Otter vessel, your ASV shall signal the detection, and safely maneuver around the marker vessel.

Step 5:

Once you pass the final gate of the Task 3.1, your attempt finishes. Then your ASV shall go to GPS-point 9 and stay stationary there, waiting for go-ahead to proceed. You may switch to Remote Control if needed.

Step 6:

Once given the go-ahead, the ASV must be steered, in Remote Control, back to GPS-point 8, without crossing the course.

Task 3.2

OBJECTIVE:

The ASV will go from GPS-point 8 to GPS-point 9, and face the marker vessel on its path. In this task the marker vessel enter from starboard side. The ASV shall detect the marker vessel and pass it safely.

ELEMENTS:

TASK GUIDELINES:

Step 1:

You are given the clear signal from the Chief Marshall to steer your vessel to GPS-point 8 of Task 3.1. This shall be done through Remote Control.

Step 2:

Once given the go-ahead from the Chief Marhsall, you must switch to Autonomous Mode, and your ASV may start its attempt at Task 3.1. Your turn starts when the ASV crosses the first gate.

Step 3:

Once observing the Otter vessel, your ASV shall signal the detection, and safely maneuver around the marker vessel.

Step 4:

Once you pass the final gate of the Task 3.1, your attempt finishes. Then your ASV shall go to GPS-point 9 and stay stationary there, waiting for go-ahead to proceed. You may switch to Remote Control if needed.

Step 5:

Once given the go-ahead, the ASV must be steered, in Remote Control, back to GPS-point 8, without crossing the course.

Task 3.3

OBJECTIVE:

The ASV will go from GPS-point 8 to GPS-point 9, and face the marker vessel on its path. In this task the marker vessel will stand enter at higher speed from an unknown angle. The ASV shall detect the marker vessel and pass it safely.

ELEMENTS:

TASK GUIDELINES:

Step 1:

You are given the clear signal from the Chief Marshall to steer your vessel to GPS-point 8 of Task 3.1. This shall be done through Remote Control.

Step 2:

Once given the go-ahead from the Chief Marhsall, you must switch to Autonomous Mode, and your ASV may start its attempt at Task 3.1. Your turn starts when the ASV crosses the first gate.

Step 3:

Once observing the Otter vessel, your ASV shall signal the detection, and safely maneuver around the marker vessel.

Step 4:

Once you pass the final gate of the Task 3.1, your attempt finishes. Then your ASV shall go to GPS-point 9 and stay stationary there, waiting for go-ahead to proceed. You may switch to Remote Control if needed.

Step 5:

Once given the go-ahead, the ASV must be steered, in Remote Control, back to GPS-point 8, without crossing the course.

Step 6:

When the Chief Marshall gives the go-ahead, you may steer the ASV safely back to the dock in Remote Control.

The second category is docking. The vessel must start off by safely docking in a berth with minimal impact, both by normal docking and parallel docking. A GPS-point will be given as location of the berth. To clarify, AR-tags are not included in this year's competition.

Task 2.1

OBJECTIVE

The ASV will start at GPS point 5, approx 5m from the dock. The ASV shall then move towards GPS-point 6, located inside the berth, and dock (stay stationary) for 5 sec.

ELEMENTS

TASK GUIDELINE

Step 1:

You are at the dock and it is your turn.

Step 2:

You are given the clear signal from the Chief Marshall to steer your vessel to GPS-point 5 of Task 2.1. This shall be done through Remote Control.

Step 3:

Once given the go-ahead from the Chief Marhsall, you must switch to Autonomous Mode, and your ASV may start its attempt at Task 2.1. Your turn starts when given the go-ahead.

Step 4:

Once reached GPS-point 6 inside the berth, your ASV shall stay stationary for 5 seconds, before it again exits the berth and returns towards GPS-point 5.

Step 6:

Once reached GPS-point 5 again, your attempt finishes. Then the ASV shall stay stationary there, waiting for the go-ahead to proceed. You may switch to Remote Control if needed.

Task 2.2

OBJECTIVE:

The ASV will start at GPS point 5, approx 5m from the barge. The ASV shall then move towards GPS-point 7, located inside the barge, and parallell dock (stay stationary) for 5 sec.

ELEMENTS:

TASK GUIDELINE

Step 1:

Once given the go-ahead from the Chief Marhsall, you must switch to Autonomous Mode, and your ASV may start its attempt at Task 2.2. Your turn starts when given the go-ahead.

Step 2:

Once reached GPS-point 7 inside the berth, your ASV shall stay stationary for 5 seconds, before it again exits the berth and returns towards GPS-point 5.

Step 3:

Once reached GPS-point 5 again, your attempt finishes. Then the ASV shall stay stationary there, waiting for the go-ahead to proceed. You may switch to Remote Control if needed.

Step 4:

When the Chief Marshall gives the go-ahead, you may steer the ASV safely back to the dock in Remote Control.

In order to ensure the smooth progress of the competition and to provide support to teams throughout the design and construction process, we will be hosting bimonthly TeamTime meetings via digital platform, starting in mid-February.

The TeamTime meetings are meant to serve a number of important purposes, including allowing us to get a better understanding of each team's current status and progress, as well as to address any questions or concerns that the teams may have.

The Technical Design Report is a written report outlining design choices and considerations taken in creating the ship. The report is expected to include an overview of the components and systems onboard the ship, in addition to an increased focus on certain innovative aspects. This is an opportunity for teams to bring attention to and share the most ingenious, challenging areas of their design. The jury will score the reports based on the following criteria:

• The report communicates a complete overview of the ship's components and systems, and their interaction.

• Major design choices are presented and well justified.

• 2-3 particularly innovative aspects are documented and presented in a fashion deemed inspiring to other students.

• The report contains visual aids (images, graphs and/or figures) as appropriate to supplement descriptions.

A total of 10 points may be achieved from the Technical Design Report.

Team Presentations

In addition to the Technical Design Report, each team will be given the possibility of presenting their ASV to the Jury, in form of a 30 minutes powerpoint presentation. This is an unique opportunity to further explain your control system, by showcasing your components and equipments onboard the ASV.

The competition will be evaluated based on the four main categories: Safety, Efficiency, Execution and Autonomy Transparency. Each category will be given an equal weighting in determining the final score. However, within each category, certain criteria may be given more weight based on their level of difficulty and importance to the overall design of the ship. Furthermore the size of the vessel will be taken into account when evaluating the performances.

Additionally, teams may also receive bonus points for particularly impressive or unique innovations in their design.

Overall, the scoring system is designed to reward teams for a well-rounded and high-quality design, as well as for displaying a strong understanding of the competition requirements and goals.

In order to join the competition, all of the team members must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program. The team will also have to send in a form to Njord containing the team members (at least two), and a contact person from the university.

There is no upper limit for the number of members in a team, but we estimate that you will need at least 6 students. The challenge is intentionally multi-disciplinary, and we encourage teams to include members with varied backgrounds. Students studying cybernetics, computer science, electrical- or marine engineering could all be relevant to a team, amongst others.

To formally join the challenge, a team leader will need to sign the participation agreement. Please find this pdf attached below.