Development and Redevelopment of a More Realistic Sailing Dinghy Simulator

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Development and Redevelopment of a More Realistic
Sailing Dinghy Simulator
Jonathan R. Binns, Australian Maritime
College, Frank W. Bethwaite, Bethwaite Design Pty
Ltd, Norman R. Saunders, University of
Melbourne, Mark Habgood, University of Melbourne
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Development of the Simulator

• Began as a marine treadmill, studying athletes
  performance
• University of Tasmania developed a system
• Virtual Sailing redesigned and rebuilt the
  hardware
• VS1
• Virtual Sailing and the Australian Maritime
  College rewrote the software
• VS2
• VS and AMC redesigned hardware
• VS-C1

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The old software and hardware VS1
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The New SoftwareVS2
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New Software and HardwareVS-C1
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What is the Simulator?

• A human-in-the-loop sailing simulation

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OLD Simulator Hardware VS1, VS2

• Boat in a roll frame
• Pneumatic rams and pressure regulators
• Transducers
• Data acquisition

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NEW Simulator Hardware !! VS-C1

• Cockpit/boat in a roll swing
• Pneumatic ram and pressure regulators
• Encoders
• Data acquisition

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New to old software

• Cost 60k
• Modular design allows for program to be changed
• Strict separation of program elements allows
  development of program without secondary
  influences
• Revisions can be backwardly compatible

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New to old hardware

• gt10k saving, gt100 kg weight saving, lt0.5 x size
• Faster data rates (9.6k bps -gt 33k bps, still
  very low)
• All three transducers are the same, none require
  calibration ever
• Lost ability to provide programmable tiller
  feedback

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The Old Simulator VS1
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The New Simulator VS-C1
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Some Simulator Uses

• Entry level training
• Higher level fitness and skill evaluation and
  sports specific exercise programs
• Training during poor weather
• Fun
• Try-before-you-buy programs for potential
  buyers, leading to happier clients and selling
  more boats

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Skills required to make a simulator

• Programming high level of efficient graphics
  and easy simulation
• Data acquisition and control large cost savings
  and speed advances possible
• Mechanical design simple tough mechanisms used
  throughout
• Simulation efficient and quick algorithms to
  provide correct dynamic feel

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THE Force and Moment Balance

• Essentially 4 degree of freedom (surge, sway,
  heel and yaw)
• Done in time domain, results in Fma, MI?,
  simple explicit Euler step used
• Dynamics are assumed Eulerian (but should be
  Lagrangian!!!)
• Simple force/moment decomposition with 3D vectors
  makes for realistic feel

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Some Problems with the Old Software

• Righting moment had a few bugs did virtually
  nothing
• No transverse force balance
• Yaw moment balance had no real physical link
• Rendering was quite clumsy
• All drag elements were too high
• meant all boat speeds were very slow

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Upright Drag
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Sail Lift
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Sail Drag
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Centreboard Lift
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Centreboard Drag
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Polar Comparison, Old to New program
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Basic Sim Data
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Extra Sim Data
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The New Boats, the Optimist
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The New Boats, the Byte
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The New Boats, the Laser, 3 sail options
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The MegaByte, and The Liberty (a two sail boat!!)
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Polar Comparison, New Boats
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Conclusions from Upgrades

• Steady state performance prediction greatly
  improved
• Dynamic performance prediction greatly improved
• Modular coding allows for many different upgrade
  possibilities
• Hardware refinements have saved 30 off cost
  price and made better machine
• Sailing industry has an alternative

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Conclusions from Engineers Perspective

• A yacht designer has to do everything
• MUST consider technologies/methods outside naval
  architecture
• Approximations can be massive, but usefulness of
  predictions can still be high
• Little can be achieved with non-scientific basis

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Future developments

• More training tools
• More multiple sail dinghies
• Better dynamic prediction for apparent wind
  sailing

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Simulator can be used by anyone
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Exercise

• Alter simulation parameters to make dinghy as
  fast as possible in 12 knots TWS
• Teach someone to sail
• See which boat is fastest, and think why?

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Sailing Glamourtake advantage, dont get fooled