CoastalShark is a summer project in KONGSBERG that has been running since 2015. The initial task was to create a remote controlled unmanned surface vehicle (USV) by rebuilding a water-jet and implement own mechanical, electrical and technical solutions. The result became Aegir, an USV named from Norse mythology; a giant who reigns over the sea.
Aegir has evolved and can receive missions and operate autonomous based on way-points using regulators, route/search planning algorithms and different sensors e.g. to avoid and detect objects. The applications for the USV can be various, in general the goal is to make Aegir further autonomous and able to manage new challenges on its own.
CoastalShark is a project where the students are organized like a team with project leader and sub-groups; mechanics and electronics takes care of the physical aspect by maintaining and implementing new solution on the complex vehicle. Software is the largest group who develop graphical user interfaces, computer vision, communication protocols, sensor implementation, navigation algorithms etc. The students plan their work themselves and cooperation is essential to be able to reach the goals during the summer.