MilliAmpere1 Autonomous Ferry Prototype: Hardware and Software

Abstract Autonomous ferries for urban mobility have gained significant attention in recent years, with notable advances in short route passenger transportation in Scandinavian countries. This paper presents the hardware and software onboard the milliAmpere1 (mA1) autonomous ferry, a small ferry [1] utilized as a test platform for several research projects at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway. The mA1 is equipped with situational awareness, docking, guidance, navigation, and dynamic positioning systems, enabling it to perform autonomous navigation. The system architecture onboard the mA1 is divided into several subsystems: (1) propulsion system, composed of 4 azimuthal electric thrusters connected through a CAN bus network, (2) navigation system, consisting of a GNSS station receiver with RTK correction and an IMU, (3) power supply system, composed of 8 absorbent glass mat batteries that supply power to the whole system, including 24V DC and 220V AC, (4) onboard control and monitoring system, which includes a fanless industrial computer running Linux and ROS-based software, and (5) situational awareness system, which features a LiDAR, maritime radar, 5 EO cameras, and 5 IR cameras. Additionally, the mA1 is equipped with a radio joystick controller and emergency stop buttons to ensure the safe operation. After an upgrade of the thrusters and electrical systems in 2024, preliminary full-scale experiments were conducted to assess the performance of the hardware and software, and the correct functionality and operation of all onboard systems were confirmed while operating under moderate weather conditions.