A team of fourteen electromechanics students from the University of Antwerp is gearing up to compete in the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge with their Torpedo-MKII, an autonomous solar-powered boat.
The Belgian students are aiming for a podium finish in the new AI category of the prestigious international competition, which will be held this year from 1 to 5 July.
The AI competition posed a new challenge for the Antwerp students, leading them to significantly modify their previous year’s model, which finished eighth.
“Our boat must not only run on solar energy, but it also needs to navigate fully autonomously using an AI control system,” says team leader Toon Lambers.
A key addition to the boat is stereo cameras that provide depth perception. “Think of it as a pair of eyes,” Lambers adds. “The cameras scan nearby objects and map the environment using GPS coordinates,” enabling the solar boat to avoid obstacles independently.
The team comprises seven Bachelor’s and seven Master’s students, each of whom, except one, is writing a thesis on a specific aspect of the boat, representing a collaborative effort among specialists in various fields.
The students will leave for Monaco on Sunday 29 June to participate in three events: ‘taxi’ (speed around buoys), ‘docking’ (autonomous docking), and a traditional slalom race.
While their goal is a podium placement, the students say they would be proud to complete all three challenges successfully.
