It Lives... (Week 3)

Since the last post, a lot was accomplished in regards to the programming and the electrical components. With the Arduino microcontroller, we were able to control the six motors with an Xbox 360 controller. The submarine is controlled in the style of a tank, which means we will have full control as it moves forward or backward while rotating. This was important as we wanted a control system that was user friendly and easy to program at the same time.

The current control scheme for the sub.

With the way the controls are set up, we have to be careful that we don't rotate the sub at an improper angle from the x-axis. In order to counteract this, we decided to use an accelerometer alongside a gyroscope to give details of the sub's angular position. By the end of this, we are hoping for the controls to include a button that will simply level the sub automatically.

Two of our group members were able to fit the inside of the submarine with brackets that will allow easy access to the electrical system when the time comes to replace the battery. The waterproofing is still in progress but nearly accomplished. It turns out that we do not need a gasket since the "cap" at the end of the sub is already tight enough to prevent any leakage coming through. Right now we are seeing how waterproof plugs work and if we can incorporate them into the system.

You can see the "brackets" near the top of the image.