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Design of a Miniature Underwater Vehicle and Data Collection System for Indoor Experimentation

Jacob Herbert, Artur Wolek

TL;DR

This work presents a low-cost, indoor testbed built around a miniature underwater vehicle (MiniUUV) assembled from 3D-printed parts and off-the-shelf electronics. The design integrates a differential propulsion system, a syringe-based buoyancy mechanism, a depth sensor, and an overhead AprilTag-tracking setup to extract pose and velocity data when the vehicle is at the surface. A MATLAB-based processing pipeline converts camera frames into estimates of position, velocity, and orientation, enabling open-loop planar demonstrations such as straight, circular, and zig-zag maneuvers, plus buoyancy actuation tests. The indoor platform supports rapid development of vehicle path planning, bio-inspired locomotion studies, and multi-vehicle coordination in a controlled environment, while highlighting areas for improvement like pump reliability, sensing fidelity, and radio range.

Abstract

This paper describes the design of a miniature uncrewed underwater vehicle (MiniUUV) and related instrumentation for indoor experimentation. The MiniUUV was developed using 3D printed components and low-cost, off-the-shelf electronics. The vehicle uses a propeller differential propulsion drive and a peristaltic pump with a syringe for buoyancy control. A water tank with an overhead camera system was constructed to allow for convenient indoor data collection in a controlled environment. Several tests were conducted to demonstrate the capabilities of the MiniUUV and data collection system, including buoyancy pump actuation tests and straight line, circular, and zig-zag motion tests on the surface. During each planar motion test an AprilTag was attached to the MiniUUV and an overhead camera system obtained video recordings that were processed offline to estimate vehicle position, surge velocity, sway velocity, yaw angle, and yaw rate.

Design of a Miniature Underwater Vehicle and Data Collection System for Indoor Experimentation

TL;DR

This work presents a low-cost, indoor testbed built around a miniature underwater vehicle (MiniUUV) assembled from 3D-printed parts and off-the-shelf electronics. The design integrates a differential propulsion system, a syringe-based buoyancy mechanism, a depth sensor, and an overhead AprilTag-tracking setup to extract pose and velocity data when the vehicle is at the surface. A MATLAB-based processing pipeline converts camera frames into estimates of position, velocity, and orientation, enabling open-loop planar demonstrations such as straight, circular, and zig-zag maneuvers, plus buoyancy actuation tests. The indoor platform supports rapid development of vehicle path planning, bio-inspired locomotion studies, and multi-vehicle coordination in a controlled environment, while highlighting areas for improvement like pump reliability, sensing fidelity, and radio range.

Abstract

This paper describes the design of a miniature uncrewed underwater vehicle (MiniUUV) and related instrumentation for indoor experimentation. The MiniUUV was developed using 3D printed components and low-cost, off-the-shelf electronics. The vehicle uses a propeller differential propulsion drive and a peristaltic pump with a syringe for buoyancy control. A water tank with an overhead camera system was constructed to allow for convenient indoor data collection in a controlled environment. Several tests were conducted to demonstrate the capabilities of the MiniUUV and data collection system, including buoyancy pump actuation tests and straight line, circular, and zig-zag motion tests on the surface. During each planar motion test an AprilTag was attached to the MiniUUV and an overhead camera system obtained video recordings that were processed offline to estimate vehicle position, surge velocity, sway velocity, yaw angle, and yaw rate.
Paper Structure (14 sections, 4 equations, 14 figures)

This paper contains 14 sections, 4 equations, 14 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Miniature Underwater Vehicle Design
  3. MiniUUV Design Overview
  4. Structural Design
  5. Buoyancy System
  6. Propulsion System
  7. Electrical Design
  8. Water Tank and Overhead Tracking System
  9. Image Data Processing
  10. Indoor Demonstrations
  11. Planar Motion Tests
  12. Buoyancy Tests
  13. Conclusion
  14. Acknowledgments

Figures (14)

  • Figure 1: The MiniUUV and several of its components.
  • Figure 2: The front endcap (far left) is inserted into the hull (far right acrylic tube) and sealed using two 230 O-rings. The back endcap (middle left) houses the propulsion system sub-assembly along with the peristaltic pump used in the buoyancy system. The chassis (middle right) houses the main electronics suite, including, the radio, micro-controller, inertial measurement unit (IMU), battery, as well as the syringe and the reflectance sensor used in the buoyancy system.
  • Figure 3: Top: The propulsion system uses differential drive propellers and two 6V DC motors. Bottom: The stuffing tube houses a section of the propeller shaft along with a water resistant grease that prevents water from entering the vessel.
  • Figure 4: Main electronics board for the MiniUUV.
  • Figure 5: Water tank during delivery and assembly.
  • ...and 9 more figures