WebAR Experience through echoAR - SeaGlide Components
Overview of Functions
The 3d models above show the general shape of various key components of our design of an autonomous underwater vehicle. The robot rises and sinks using a plunger which changes the center of gravity and buoyancy. This mechanism works by first starting at the surface and taking in water, changing the center of gravity, which in turn changes the angle of descent and allows for the robot to sink. After the sink cycle has been completed, then the rise cycle begins which expels the water, changing the angle once again, which allows the robot to rise. In combination with the changes in center of gravity hydrodynamics come into play. Particularly, the shape and texture of the wings affect the movement of the device. The wings play a key role in maintaining optimal angle, in order to prevent early/late surface arrival or starting the sink cycle at the wrong time. The material used in these vehicles must satisfy a few requirements, such as being light, strong, durable and filled. Having the wings, tailfin and nose cone filled prevents air pockets from forming, which reduces the number of factors accounted for when performing precise calculations. This method allows the robot to travel autonomously for long distances with very low power consumption.
Software & Hardware
Although the hardware is essential to the success of the task, it's vital that it must have a reliable and efficient software side, which can perform fast calculations. For this task the Arduino and Raspberry Pi were very useful. The arduino is in control of the servo, which controls the syringe. As mentioned before, the syringe takes in and expels water to change altitude. The arduino is the most cost effective and efficient solution for this because of its extensive commands for motor control. The raspberry pi played a key role in performing calculations faster than the Arduino for image processing, this allows for the robot to detect obstacles within its path and change trajectory accordingly. The change in trajectory is then handed over to the arduino to adjust the angle of the tailfin; communication is essential between the raspberry pi and arduino. To establish a firm connection between these two, serial communication is necessary; the raspberry pi sends information in the form of character's to the arduino, the arduino then analyzes the character for the designated command. This allows the robot to make decisions quickly in order to avoid obstacles as efficiently as possible, increasing the rate of success for the task. These components are not pictured in the current AR experience, but could be later integrated for additional visualization assistance.