Modular Blue Robotics Based AUV

Build DIY AUVs
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@Scott_W, thanks for sending me the link.

Very interesting thread. Used all my breaks today to finish it.

Happy to know other people are thinking about how to make this more practical and more accessible. I’m totally on board with a community driven design(s). My background is Electrical Engineering… worked designing PCB and digital processing in a sonar company (digital/power supply side) several years, have used IVER3 and REMUS100 vehicles in the past.

I can see how different requirements and personal experiences lead to different design choices. On my part, I’m going the traditional (torpedo looking) AUV style with fins… mostly because I need a vehicle that is stable and has low drag coefficient while going at 2-4 knots… but it won’t be stable at low speeds.

Regarding the batteries, I totally agree with you. I’m also interested in transporting this on a commercial airplane and bringing at least some batteries on the flight would be ideal. There is some risk that if batteries have different voltages, it could cause a fire. So, planning for a safe way to connect them would be important. I suppose a “smart BMS” could monitor all the voltages, charge the batteries, balance, shutdown in case of emergency, etc. To get me started I just built 4s2p x 4 (21700 5Ah cells) to provide ~850Wh.

Here is a list of items I think the community could be a part of:

  1. Acoustic modem. Mostly for feedback of status/location. Some open-source projects are out there but nothing completely ready to use. Last week I planned a design for a Raspberry Pi based acoustic modem… but I need to build it and figure out the driver’s situation. There is code for the Rpi to modulate and demodulate, including the doppler shift… so that could be used? Also went down the rabbit hole of how to properly design a transducer that can reach 2km. My hope is that all parts will cost < $400.

  2. Mast with sensors. GPS, WIFI, Iridium, LoRa, 4G/5G, etc??

  3. INS. iXBlue is ~$100kUSD with import duties to the US. There are other options like Advanced Navigation. Lower cost INS (MEMS based) start at $20USD but better ones I have seen are around $2000… but they don’t integrate the DVL or pressure sensor. Does the PX4 do this? Or someone could figure out a way to make a low-cost FOG INS :blush:

  4. Software. Perhaps BlueOS can handle all this but I’m not too familiar with it.

    1. I’m thinking ROS2 would be a great backend

    2. Configuration: adding waypoints, depth, enabling camera/SONAR, etc.

    3. Status of everything (INS calibration, vehicle position, battery, etc.)

  5. Module I/F. My hope is to make it modular and that different payloads can be added. Normally I have seen 2 things in AUVs. They have a cable mess like the REMUS 100 and Iver, which creates noise.

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