I’m currently working on developing a motorized add-on kit for the BlueRobotics Fathom Spool (Large).
The goal is to assist with tether management, especially for longer tethers, by integrating a compact DC motor system.
In the future, I’m also considering adding a level-wind mechanism for more organized spooling.
Before going too far, I’d like to ask for your thoughts:
Would you be interested in a motorized kit like this?
What features would be most important to you? (e.g. torque, speed, portability, price)
Have you already built or seen similar solutions?
The rough target price would be around $1,000-$2,000, depending on the final features and design.
Your feedback would be incredibly helpful in shaping the direction of this project.
Thanks in advance!
That seems like a good price point for a simple motor drive.
It would help if it were 12VDC, had a simple foot pedal switch for in/out, and were around 20lbs/100N line pull and 20-50 meter/minute maximum speed.
Please share when you get closer. We did some work on this in the past, but are always looking for for new options we can add for our customers.
You’re right that 12VDC is ideal for simplicity, but in our experience it doesn’t provide enough torque.
We’re planning to use 24VDC as a minimum to ensure sufficient pulling power.
The target specs you mentioned (20–50 m/min speed) are in line with our plans. In fact, we’ve already built a more powerful prototype that achieves 80–100 m/min and has been used over 100 times (with 700m tether) over the past year without any issues.
However, that version required many reinforcements and upgrades, which made it too expensive to manufacture at scale.
That’s why we’re now considering a simpler version – more compact and cost-effective – if there is demand from users.
I’ll be happy to share more once we have a refined design.
Thanks again for your interest!
After installing the system and testing it by winding the cable, I noticed that the frame is too weak.
It seems that several reinforcements or modifications will be needed to make it work reliably.
For the size and strength of the Fathom Reel, I wonder if a lower power motor and even 3d printed plastic gears would be a solution. You could get a lot of torque from even a small 12V motor if the maximum speed were reduced enough.
