“V Ladder” Coral Reef Mapping Robot – Prototype and test

https://www.facebook.com/cesar.harada/videos/10158456840291427

Today we built and tested our latest prototype for our #Coral #Reef #Mapping #Robot.

“V Ladder”: Simplification towards more efficiency. 5 underwater cameras to take thousands of pictures, create high-resolution maps, and train our AI to classify coral. it’s a simplification from last week “Delta Force” that had a triangular chassis. Oh, and pretty important, it’s got FPV (you can see underwater remotely in real-time). 

We think we have the final design: “the ladder” form! Easy to maneuver, transport, fabricate… Modular, extendable, packable… The Research phase is mostly done, now development, optimization, and product design.

Our Observations

Good

1. Aluminum rigidity, flexibility, strength at 19mm diameter. 25mm diameter might be better. Moderate Flexibility is good
2. One person operation
3. Thrust is good underwater
4. Faster setup
5. Stability is good

Bad

1. One engine did not go!
2. The camera needs to be deeper and blacked out
3. The camera and brain needs to be cooled
4. In reverse cables get wet(short circuit)
5. Better, faster attachments for tubes
6. Better attachments for tubes, rudders, to stay vertical
7. Set tubes further apart for more stability

Credits

1. Cesar Jung-Harada
2. Michael O’Brien
3. Brad O’Dell
4. Mathis Buchbinder
5. Sanjeew Kanagaraj
6. Priyank Sharma
7. Aidina Tleugabyl
8. Rama Adiputra
9. Michael Tang
10. Thanks to Duy Huynh, Emma Wong, Walter Dellisanti, Roberto Pirelli
11. Music: Massage by Skygaze

Organization: https://www.makerbay.netProject Documentation: https://github.com/MakerBay/Coral_Reef_Mapping_Drone

Please give us some tough love and comments. Hard feedback is what helps us most 😃
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