Data acquisition
An important part of our boat is the data acquisition system. Our boat collects data from different parts of the boat, with which it can be tested, calculated and modelled. An example of this data is the temperature of the engine, the speed of the boat and various error messages of the software and hardware. First, it is very important that data is available when we test the boat. At the moment that the parts of the boat are being tested, there will still be errors in the hardware and software. This is where the data acquisition will play a major role because the system can show all error messages and wrong values. This way, all engineers of the team can solve errors and make the boat as optimal as possible! In addition, we have a strategy team every year, which closely monitors the data during the race. Our solar boat depends on the weather conditions and at any time it is important to know what solar radiation is and how we can deal with it. The strategy team has a good background in programming and modelling. because mathematical models are created using this data to calculate the best speed at any time. We would like to know how fast we have to sail at any time, in order to make the best use of our solar panels in combination with the batteries. In this way, we strive for the best result and we ensure winning the race!