Project Overview

Problem Overview
The goal for our Engineering Freshman Design Project is to design, test, and implement and intuitive control system for a submersible robot.  We are continuing a submarine project from one of last year's freshman design team.  Since last year's team spent their full ten weeks working on the physical structure of the submarine and placement of motors, they were not able to work on a way to operate the submarine while it was underwater. In order to control the submarine, we must also see how control signals sent from us to the robot are affected underwater. We must also learn how to program a microcontroller, the heart of the whole control system.

Design Constraints
The submersible robot's main constraint is that it must have a water tight compartment to house our electronic equipment.  The submarine will have on board an Arduino microprocessor, three motor shields, and a battery.  The robot has holes in it for the motor's wires and also to be connected to our computer.  Eventually a system will be implemented to make our communication between the controller and the submarine somewhat wireless.

Existing Solutions
Our project includes the combination of many existing solutions.  We plan to use an XBOX controller to communicate to arduino.  This has been done before, but we must modify the solution for our robot and layout of components.  We needed a solution to how we will control the voltage the motor receives.  So we invested in motor shields which have the job of supplying the motors with power. 

Design Goal
So the goal of the design project is to make the submarine project from last year fully operational. The submarine must be fully watertight in order to protect the electrical components inside. The submarine must have an easy to use control system and will be able to move agilely underwater. We want to be able to control the amount of electrical potential the motors receive in order to give the submarine full maneuverability. At first, the Xbox 360 controller will have to be wired to the submarine, but our final goal is to have wireless communication from the control system to the submersible robot.

Project Deliverables

• Demonstration of the fully mobile submarine when being suspended underwater.
• Demonstration of the wireless capabilities.
• Diagram of the whole electrical/control system.

Project Schedule
Week 1

• Set up and initialize the blog.
• Brainstorm on how to begin the design project.

Week 2

• Open the submarine to see its internal mechanisms.
• Brainstorm on ways to make the submarine watertight and how the submarine should be controlled.
• Begin a rough draft of the electrical components of the submarine.

Week 3

• Have at least one motor moving.
• Begin work on electrical components.
• Work on an easy way to slide electrical components in and out of the submarine.
• Have the Project Overview page completed for the blog.

Week 4

• Work on making the submarine watertight.
• Continue work on electrical components.
• Have all the motors moving one at a time.
• Continue updating the blog for the following weeks.

Week 5

• Have motors move simultaenously.
• Begin work on the control system of the submarine.
• Continue work on the electrical components.
• Finish the electrical component's platform that will allow convenienc when changing batteries.
• Continue work on making the submarine watertight.

Week 6

• Finish the electrical components of the submarine.
• Finish the control system of the submarine.
• Successfully have the submarine controlled with a wired controller attachment.
• Brainstorm ways to have the submarine controllable wirelessly.

Week 7

• Have the electrical components and the control system fit inside the submarine.
• Figure the best options for the motors that will make the submarine move with most efficiency.

Week 8

• Successfully have the submarine controllable wirelessly.
• Seal any excessive holes caused by having a wired controller.

Week 9

• Fully test the submarine underwater.
• Record video of the success/failure of the submarine.

Week 10

• Present our project to the audience.

Project Budget
Arduino Mega 2560 Microcontroller

• Qty: 1 unit
• Price: $54.95
• This microcontroller will allow us to control the submarine through the use of an Xbox 360 controller. Programming the microcontroller will involve using a programming library that will map a control system for the Xbox 360 controller. (see Reference 5)
• http://www.amazon.com/Arduino-MEGA-2560-R3-Board/dp/B006UTBDGA/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1334770188&sr=1-2

Motor Shields for Arduino

• Qty: 3 units
• Price: $16.95 each
• Product #: L289P
• A simple expansion that will increase the working capabilities of the Arduino microcontroller with respect to the motors. (see Reference 1)
• http://www.amazon.com/DFRobot-Motor-Shield-for-Arduino/dp/B006D85PAS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334771765&sr=8-1

Programming Interactivity, 2nd edition

• Qty: 1 unit
• Price: $31.49
• Our programmer used this book in order to research how to program the Arduino microcontroller.
• http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Interactivity-Joshua-Noble/dp/144931144X/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1335374983&sr=1-1-catcorr 

XBox 360 Controller

• Qty: 1 unit
• Price: $24.99
• The controller we will be using in order to control the submarine. We will utilize the two joysticks in order to maintain a tank control on the sub.
• http://www.gamestop.com/xbox-360/accessories/gamestop-xbox-360-controller/43229#productDetails

ZIPPY Flightmax 5000mAh 

• Qty: 2 units
• Price: $25.48 each
• PRODUCT ID: Z50003S-20
• The main rechargeable power unit for the submarine.
• http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__16786__ZIPPY_Flightmax_5000mAh_3S1P_20C_USA_Warehouse_.html