Aluminum Autonomous Navigator for Intelligent Sampling: the ALANIS project

In May-July 2008 a new dual-use, i.e. both manned and unmanned, surface vehicle (USV) was successfully launched and tested in Genova, Italy. The prototype vehicle, named ALANIS, has been funded by the Scientific and Technological Park of Regione Liguria s.c.p.a. (PSTL). The goal was to provide an overview of the USV emerging technology with particular regard to water and sea floor monitoring applications, to a pool of local small medium enterprises (SMEs) coordinated by San Giorgio SEIN, a company involved in design and manufacturing of naval sensors, instruments and automation systems. The project, started in March 2007, was led by a public research institute, the Institute of Intelligent Systems for Automation of the Italian National Research Council (CNR-ISSIA), on the basis of its previous experience in the development and exploitation of unmanned marine vehicles, both ROVs and USVs. As far as the industrial partners are concerned, Cantieri Mancini snc was in charge of the design and construction of the prototype vessel, Green Project srl developed the onboard system for automatic steering and throttle, and Gem Elettronica srl supplied the navigation and communication package. The resulting vehicle, after its preliminary at-field demonstration, is now the testbed for further developments in the fields of anti-collision algorithms and devices, multi-vehicle cooperation, and coastal and harbour monitoring.