Autonomous Boat Navigation System 🚤

This project showcases a fully autonomous boat built for a university-level engineering challenge. The system uses an Arduino-based control unit, GPS, and a closed loop control loop to autonomously navigate a predefined course with real-time adjustments and obstacle avoidance.

📌 Overview

• Goal: Design and build a boat that can autonomously navigate through waypoints and avoid obstacles using onboard sensors and embedded control logic.
• Platform: Arduino (C++)
• Status: Completed – successfully raced and tested in a live water navigation challenge.

🧠 Features

• ✅ GPS-based waypoint navigation
• ✅ PID control loop for heading stabilization
• ✅ Obstacle detection and avoidance using ultrasonic sensors
• ✅ Modular code for navigation, motor control, and sensor handling
• ✅ Failsafe behavior for lost signal or sensor failure

🔧 System Architecture

                    +---------------------+
                    |     GPS Module      |
                    +---------------------+
                             |
                             v
                +--------------------------+
                |   Navigation Controller  |
                |  (Arduino Microcontroller)|
                +--------------------------+
                 |           |           |
                 v           v           v
         +----------+   +---------+   +------------+
         |  Motors  |   | Sensors |   | Compass/Gyro|
         +----------+   +---------+   +------------+