ROV
From UAFCS
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UAF Underwater ROV Project
UAF has competed in the international MATE ROV competition for several years. The 2008 competition will be held in San Diego from June 26-28, but we're going to have to have a functional vehicle well before May 23. May 23 is the qualifying date, when we need to have demonstrated our ROV to a local judge, David Christie.
Our basic idea is a topside pilot sits at a (laptop) computer, sending commands and power down a thin tether to the underwater robot, which does work. The robot sends back video signals and status data, and collects samples to return topside.
Main pieces of work to do:
- ./ROV:software running on topside PC, converting USB gamepad signals to serial robot commands.
- ./ROV:circuit onboard electronics, from serial commands to DC amps.
- ./ROV:thruster thruster design, from DC amps to moving water.
- ./ROV:mechanical overall frame of robot.
- ./ROV:travel how to travel to the contest.
People Involved
- Vincent Weibel <polarsubmersibles@gmail.com>, UAF ME student and founding member.
- Kluane Weibel <fskdw8@uaf.edu>, UAF architecture student and founding member.
- Devin Boyer <fsdcb3@uaf.edu>, UAF EE/CS student, is doing the onboard motor controller circuit board.
- James Halliday <fsjwh9@uaf.edu>, UAF CS student, is also helping with the front-end software.
- Orion Lawlor <ffosl@uaf.edu>, UAF CS professor and team advisor.
- Several other UAF students, with varying amounts of spare time!
Here's our 2006 team website.
We've been meeting Saturdays at 1pm in Katherine Weibel's (their mom's) garage; they've got a test tank, workbenches, and some of our test equipment there. The address is 447 Slater Drive. To get there, turn east off the New Steese onto 2nd street (at the Mayflower, formerly China One Buffet, Royal Fork), turn right at the next stoplight onto Hamilton, proceed past the park and turn left onto Slater Drive. 447 Slater Drive is a green house on the right several blocks down.
We had a "Day of Welding" on Friday, March 14 (9-10am to 2-3pm), at Orion's house. Orion lives at 2380 Steese Hwy: drive north on the Steese to Fox, turn right at the Fox gas station to stay on the Steese, after 1 mile turn right onto First Chance Creek Road (there's a sign), go past Layne's drilling shop and turn right onto our 1/2 mile long winding driveway. We're the two-story log cabin with attached garage. Bring safety glasses!
Funding Sources
The robot hardware really isn't that expensive, if you're careful about buying economical supplies--for example, bilge pumps are $20-$30, and motor controllers can be under $10. However, we will need a few thousand dollars to buy plane tickets, and FedEx the robot.
- UAF's new Provost Susan Henrichs agreed to pay $5,500 toward the international MATE ROV competition (!!). After we compete, we must provide the Provost's office a short paper (approximately 2 pages) describing what we learned and what benefits we gained from attending this competition.
- UAF Fisheries & Ocean Sciences does a lot of underwater work. Dave Christie offered to support us as well, saying: "We require a short proposal (1-2 pages max) written by the team members and outlining the team's plans. It should include a budget showing how our requested contribution would fit into the overall budget for the team. This should be a learning experience and we will be happy to work with them to help produce a strong proposal."
- UAF Club funding might kick in a few hundred (tops).
- UAF CS department might have a small amount of money available for specific stuff.
- Donations from local businesses; for example, an auto body shop might donate a paint job--College Collision & Auto Repair donated a spectacular paint job in 2007 (thanks!).
Suppliers
- First, we can fabricate printed circuit boards ourselves via the Gootee Method. Or you can design the boards and send them off to be fabricated at $33 each or at batchPCB ($10 + $2.50/square inch).
- DigiKey has an excellent selection of semiconductors, plugs, jacks, etc. Prices are good, and shipping is cheap on small orders via USPS. The website's search functionality isn't very good, though. Arrow is similar. Mouser is the preferred supplier in the EE department - take that as you will.
- Electronic Goldmine has really amazing prices on surplus motors, LEDs, connectors, and components. They tend to sell stuff by the bag. Shipping is via USPS and very fast. But the selection is somewhat spotty, and products may vanish. Action Electronics is similar.
- Geeks.com has really fantastic prices on computer stuff--these are nice NTSC color cameras for $14! (Only downside is most of them badly wash out in the dark from their own IR LEDs, but you can fix this by twisting the little photocell leads into a self-short). SuperCircuits is the more standard supplier for video equipment.
- Innovation First has really well-built, solid hardware, but it's spendy. Vincent has a variety of motor controllers, microprocessors, etc.
- Tower Hobbies has some cool (designed for air) ducted fans.
Similar Projects
- AUVSI Engineering Primer. A solid 100-page document on underwater robotics design. Focused on autonomous vehicles, but includes lots of good applied details for any underwater design.
- ENZO II ROV is a small (few kilobucks) commercial design. Aluminum tube chassis. 24v across tether.
- Rollette's ROV. Neat little design, same 1250/500 bilge pumps as us, same Gootee PCBs.
- Homebuilt ROVs. Lots of very pretty little designs.
- Yahoo RobotROV group. Lots of wannabe folks, but lots of solid people too.
