Development of an underwater robotic vehicle

Abstract

Underwater robotic vehicles are widely used today. The objective of this project is to create an underwater robotic vehicle that will participate in the annual Singapore Robotics Games. The first underwater robotic vehicle was created by reverse-engineering a hobby submarine. This method was employed to gain an understanding of how different systems interact inside a underwater robotic vehicle. The second underwater robotic vehicle was designed based on the lessons that were learnt during the competition. The second underwater robotic vehicle was an improvement of the first design. Relays were used as a form of motor control. This project explores three ideas: the operation of an uncovered motor in water, the current consumptions of motors in air and water at both low and high speeds, as well as the flow simulations of the project’s underwater robotic vehicle design. It was discovered that it is possible to operate a motor in water without any form of covering. However, this will increase the risk of corrosion to the exposed parts of the motor. It was also discovered that the current consumption increases dramatically when the speed of the motor is increased in water. The lessons learnt from this project will allow others to better understand how to build an underwater robotic vehicle.