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Tom Nurse edited this page Apr 19, 2022 · 1 revision

The rigid wing is our sailboat's main engine. Without it, the boat doesn't really sail!

This guide will provide a basic overview of the wingsail's control surfaces and will show you how you can connect to it over bluetooth.

Anatomy of The Wingsail

  • Main Sail: The main sail is the largest component of the wingsail. This is what ultimately generates the lift that drives the boat forward.
  • Mast: The vertical pole that the main sail is attached to is the mast. The mast is inserted into the boat and permitted to rotate freely allowing the wingsail to orient itself correctly regardless of the wind direction.
  • Wind vane: The red wind vane on the front of the wingsail is used to determine the angle of attack of the wingsail
  • Status indicator: The status indicator consists of 3 colored LEDs which visually communicate the current state of the wingsail control system.
  • Trim tab: The trim tab is the smaller airfoil mounted aft of the main sail. The trim tab is used to angle the main sail in such a way that will generate lift in the desired direction.

Connecting Over Bluetooth (For Debugging)

During normal operation, the boat has a ROS node which handles communicating with the rigid wing firmware. However, in some cases you may find it more helpful to connect directly to the rigid wing controller while debugging. This can be done in a variety of ways, but one that has worked really well in the past is to use a mobile app like nRF Connect. This guide will show you how to use nRF Connect to connect to and interact with the rigid wing firmware.

First, (if you haven't already) download and install the nRF Connect application from wherever you get your mobile apps. Once installed:

  1. Open the app to begin scanning the environment for nearby bluetooth devices
  2. Look for a device named Sailbot - Trim Tab and tap "Connect"
  3. In the view that opens, select Client to view a list of characteristics available to you
  4. For read-only characteristics, tap the button with a single down arrow to read the current value. For write only characteristics, select the button with an up arrow to send a new value (for almost all of these, use unsigned byte as the data type).
  5. When you are done playing, be sure to disconnect!
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