A Customisable Underwater Robot
This work provides an incremental, open-source platform for the general public to build and test underwater drones, potentially accelerating innovation in aquatic robotics.
The authors developed a customizable underwater robot with 3D-printed parts and adapters to enable various thruster and ballast configurations, and they successfully tested a functional prototype in rivers and lakes around Berlin.
We present a model of a configurable underwater drone, whose parts are optimised for 3D printing processes. We show how - through the use of printable adapters - several thrusters and ballast configurations can be implemented, allowing different maneuvering possibilities. After introducing the model and illustrating a set of possible configurations, we present a functional prototype based on open source hardware and software solutions. The prototype has been successfully tested in several dives in rivers and lakes around Berlin. The reliability of the printed models has been tested only in relatively shallow waters. However, we strongly believe that their availability as freely downloadable models will motivate the general public to build and to test underwater drones, thus speeding up the development of innovative solutions and applications. The models and their documentation will be available for download at the following link: https://adapt.informatik.hu-berlin.de/schillaci/underwater.html.