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Autonomous Sailboat Prototype

Personal Project • 2026 • In progress

Why

I want to apply my software skills to the physical world: machines, energy and the outdoors. A boat that runs on wind ties the three together. I study ROS2, the open-source robot software, and prototype a small autonomous sailboat.

The plan

  • ROS2 basics: nodes, topics, packages and custom messages. Part 1 of the course is done.
  • A simulated vehicle with two steerable wheels and one passive wheel. Each wheel turns on its own, which mimics how sails steer a boat.
  • The same software on a Raspberry Pi with real motors. If it works, a small model boat on a lake.

How I work

I build each piece by hand first. I skip the heavy tools until I understand the basics.

Stack

ROS2 • RViz2 • Raspberry Pi