Design, Development and Testing of Uncrewed Surface Vessels for Adriatic Sea Monitoring within the BRIGANTINE Project
The BRIGANTINE project addresses the development of advanced tools and platforms for environmental monitoring of the Adriatic Sea. Within the project, the University of Zagreb Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture contributed through the design, construction, integration and testing of two purpose-built uncrewed surface vessels intended for oceanographic measurements and environmental monitoring.
The vessels were developed as compact and versatile research platforms capable of carrying scientific sensors, imaging equipment and associated data-acquisition systems. Their development required the integration of naval architecture, marine engineering, electronics and mechatronics, while accounting for the specific operational requirements of small unmanned vessels, including payload capacity, stability, hydrodynamic performance, manoeuvrability, propulsion, power supply and equipment arrangement.
The presentation provides an overview of the development process, from the definition of operational requirements and vessel concept design to construction, system integration and testing. Particular attention is given to the engineering challenges associated with balancing platform size, payload requirements, propulsion performance and operational flexibility.
The developed vessels demonstrate the potential of purpose-built uncrewed surface platforms as flexible tools for oceanographic research and environmental data collection, while providing a basis for further development toward more advanced navigation, control and autonomous operation capabilities.