Robert Ross
Engineering Projects - Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV)
"Basically a little remote controlled submarine"
Some contruction details will be posted on my project journal.
This page serves as a pictorial summary of the work completed thus far.
Robert Ross |
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Engineering Projects - Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV)"Basically a little remote controlled submarine"
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Currently I'm constructing a small ROV: an unmanned, remote-controlled underwater craft. Some contruction details will be posted on my project journal. This page serves as a pictorial summary of the work completed thus far. |
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ROV construction by pictures (click for larger view): |
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| Basic frame - constructed from 12mm PVC pipe | Bottom of a milk crate is used for ROV base, PVC frame attached with PVC cement | Fuselage of ROV - 100mm PVC pipe, screw fittings attached each end with high pressure PVC cement |
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| 6mm Perspex was cut out and shaped for a porthole from the fuselage | The porthole screw-cap for the front of the fuselage | Porthole attached to the fuselage |
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| Buoyancy tests in the tub. Note two 50mm Buoyancy tanks attached | Internal view of connection points | Screw-in style connection points are provided to give the ROV maximum flexibility and quickly swap between alternate tethers (optical fiber/ethernet) |
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| The paint job: Hull, frame and end caps | The paint job: One of the buoyancy tanks | Partially assembled mechanical section (Currently only one aft thruster is attached and no downward thruster) |
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| Rear thruster shown - currently lacking protective ring around propeller | Front on view of ROV | Welded horizontal thruster mount |
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| Both horizontal thruster mounts on ROV base | Top section of vertical thruster mount | Middle section of vertical thruster mount |
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| Bottom brace of vertical thruster mount | How the vertical thruster mount fits together | Thruster (modified bilge pump) with unmodified propellor attached |
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| Outer mount for vertical thruster shown butted up against fuselage | Cemented vertical thruster mount, currently missing side water vents | Vertical thruster mount, with side water ventscurrently missing side exhaust vents |
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| Inverted vertical thruster mount | Wire brush on a dremel - the fastest way to clean off PCV cement | Completed vertical thruster mount |
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| Uncut, 4.5" model aeroplane propellor | 2cm taken off each of the blades of the propellor | Finished propellor - with shaped edges |
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| Tether connector - Cable sealed with watertight silicon | Tether - 17m of Cat5 complete with screw connector | Hull with additional connectors for the motors and a light added |
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| Hull with additional connectors for the motors and a light added | All the electronics within the hull will be mounted on a shelf which slides in and out. These are the guides mounted within the hull that the shelf will slide on | Hull fitted with some guides for the main shelf to run along |
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| The bottom of the ROV finally gets a coat of paint | PCB for basic control of the ROV thrusters | The ROV ready to go into the water for the maiden mission - in a pool |
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| The ROV at the pool | Controlling the ROV from the 'bridge' | Off the bridge |
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| The rope is just in case | Tony having a go | ROV in the moat |
| Video of the moat test | ||
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