Sailboat Test Arena (STAr): A Remotely Accessible Platform for Robotic Sailboat Research

Autonomous sailing robots have attracted much attention, but challenges arise due to the sailing tests require an environment with both aerodynamic and hydrodynamic fields and a sufficient number of sailing robots in readiness. A remotely accessible platform with the advantages of low cost, easy operation and high efficiency is the preferred method to solve this dilemma. Consistent with this goal is the design of Sailboat Test Arena (STAr), a remotely accessible platform for sailing robot design verification, autonomous algorithms validation and sailing control practices. All three parts require extensive testing in real water environments. Hereby, for testers around the world, STAr can be accessed without time difference. A variety of local and remote tests have been conducted in the STAr platform at various location around the world. The results show that STAr is a remotely accessible and effective tool in data collection and skill transfer. With continuous adoption and optimization, STAr will continue to serve as a tool to further promote low-cost, high-efficiency and diverse sailing research, and provide opportunities for more people to experience sailing.