Open-Source Mini Sub Can Be Made On the Cheap 62
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by
samzenpus
from the 20,000-legues-for-under-a-C dept.
from the 20,000-legues-for-under-a-C dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Eric Stackpole is a NASA engineer and avid outdoorsman. He is the chief designer of a cheap, portable underwater ROV that could change the way we explore our oceans. And he wants to make it so cheap and easy to build that anyone can do it. The device in question is the OpenROV, a small, lasercut contraption powered by several C-cells, a small, cheap computer and a webcam. Right now the price per vehicle is around $500-$600, As with all open source hardware projects, further development will likely drastically reduce the price. Or you can buy a kit for $750 and support the project, once the Kickstarter gets going."
Its not just the ocean ... (Score:5, Insightful)
I've seen a lot of DIY ROVs (Score:2, Insightful)
I don't know what he's using for thrusters but those are normally the killers. Communication can be as simple as 3 0-255 values. 4-6 if you want the extra DoF.
Many projects get bogged down in protecting motors from corrosion. Even scuba gear gets a bath in fresh water after use. I dip my robots in Isopropyl after I'm done. Computer case fans will run under water for some time if you simply insulate the drive electronics. Petroleum jelly would probably be enough.
The forums look like they're going in a good direction but I would modify a CoTs dive light for the camera housing and use glad-ware for the frame, put your H-Bridges in mineral oil and hot glue the wire penetrations.
KISS. If it's cheap enough it doesn't have to last more than a couple hours. I'd bet a hot glue tupperware bot could make $100 last 12 hours before failure.
Seriously, an MSP430 should be able to do this job. Don't let feature-creep turn a camera with motors on it in to a huge undertaking.
The OpenROV is a great design from what I can tell, but the barriers to entry can go so much lower.