I want to build a ROV using the cheapest and most outrageous materials I can think of, I’m a ways off from buying the necessary part for navigation. (i.e. INS,GPS) I have a basic frame I built out of metal poles off some old desks that were getting thrown away and a paddleboard as my buoyancy strapped to the top. I would love feedback and suggestions. (I have no idea what I’m going to do for the programming but I’ll find another thread for that) Im going to use T200 thrusters for simplicity and am willing/able to take parts from my BlueROV2 but id rather not.
Hi @Jagermax63 -
Sounds like a fun project!
Your paddleboard buoyancy foam may compress as you dive, giving you less buoyancy. If you trim the vehicle to only be slightly positively buoyant, this means it may become negatively buoyant and sink at depth!
GPS doesn’t work underwater, as radio waves just don’t make it through! Our Navigator autopilot paired with a Raspberry Pi 4, connected to a USB web camera and ESCs driving Thrusters should make no programming be required - just use of BlueOS running ArduSub!
It’s important that you select ESCs that are bidirectional - most for quadcopters and planes do not support this.
Whether you use our T200 thrusters or battery or not, please consider the WetLink Penetrator as an affordable and extremely robust way of bringing your cables into your enclosure. This is a far superior solution to potted penetrator bolts for most situations!
If you want your system to be able to do missions autonomously, driving itself, that will unfortunately require some pretty expensive hardware - an Underwater (acoustic) GPS or DVL are supported for this function though!
Thanks for the feedback! My Engineer buddy already brought up the compressing problem and recommended Insulation instead, I have a Raspberry Pi but its a 3. If I don’t find some kind of positioning system I will absolutely buy a new pi/navigator board. I currently have spare T200 thrusters and I have some bidirectional ESCs to make the ROV more pretty in both cosmetics and function. I’m trying not to buy anything if I don’t have too so I’m looking for things I can scrounge up first. If I don’t find some kind of positioning system I will absolutely buy a new pi/navigator board. My scrap propellers rn are some mini fans I found at the dollar store.
I don’t intend on making it autonomous, I’m familiar with the how just not comfortable building it on something glued together with glitter glue lol