Hi All,
This SRV-II submarine kit Link seems to be reasonably priced for what you get and has potential for a INS navigation system for autonomous underwater operation. It could also be the basis for a lightweight tethered ROV since it has its own onboard batteries.
Regards,
TCIII Admin
Replies
I Have recently thought about the possibility of FPV Submarines. I have no interest in RC land vehicles due to the wonderfulness of multirotor craft, but a Submarine, that would be cool, to be able to explore a local lake or something would be fun. Unfortunately I cannot give it serious thought, as I am 100% into multirotors, and it would be quite some time before I would ever be able to devote any time or money to it, but there is no denying that is would be ultra cool.
@J Smith,
You are better off with an UROV as the SRV-II can only dive to about 12 ft and does not send back FPV video.
Regards,
TCIII AVD
I am running my sub (1:100 scale russian Oscar 2 class) with the APM 2.6 for over one year with good success. Since nobody has to my knowledge yet come up with the ArduSub software I am using the Arducopter version. Stabilize mode is perfect to keep the submerged sub on a perfectly straight course despite poor visibility conditions across the entire pond. Auto mode is more difficult to establish because you loose GPS connection quickly at diving depths beyond 10 to 20 centimeters. The 3DR radio works much better and provides you among other data with internal barometric pressure. A very helpful indicator of pressure hull integrity because flooding of main balast tanks creates a constant overpressure within the hull. Dropping pressure levels indicate a leak. Surfaced you can run programmed courses quite easily. Instead of carrying my laptop arround I use an outdated smartphone plus a standard 3DR radio set to establish wireless telemetry via the Droidplanner App. In my opinion a very helpfull and most of all also reliable system. For these reasons I also equipped my 2nd boat a russian Typhoon Class with exactly the same system...
Cheers - E=mc2
Hi All,
I have contacted Cliff Walker, the SRV-II manufacturer, and found that the SRV-II Submarine Kit can be purchased for $400, sans R/C equipment, + shipping.
I believe that this ROV cannot be home-built for the same price. Cliff claims that it can reach a depth of 100 ft without leaking. I think that this ROV could be a very viable basis for either a tethered or autonomous ROV.
As an autonomous ROV it could be guided by an APM using the compass and IMU for navigation after taking a position fix with the GPS before diving. The deck on the ROV is big enough to support a sealed GoPro camera so that video can be recorded for a review after each waypoint mission.
On a tether it could use the APM to provide spatial stability and a FPV camera could be installed in the bow bubble window and transmitted up a two wire pair, using baluns, for viewing on the surface.
Regards,
TCIII ArduRover2 Developer
Dear Thomas,
that´s really interesting. Two questions
1) your post is from Nov '13, anything new with regard to ROVs and GPS/APM?
2) camera: how could one install it? I am thinking of a similar solution like the ArduPlane which then has a camera pointing nadir (from sky to ground)for mapping purposes.
I am so interested in this because I have a colleague who is an ecologist, diving mainly to collect images of the same spot each year. However, he is rather limited in the area he can reach. Also a ROV would allow to collect a series of overlapping images which could be stiched together. Seafloor mapping. Are you aware of similar projects that do that already?
best
Jens
@Jens,
This submarine is presently R/C controlled (75MHz) and can only dive to a very shallow depth of around 8 - 10 ft. There are users who have attached an RG-134 cable from the R/C transmitter trainer output down to the submarine so they can dive down to around 100 ft.
I am looking at building an ROV, not a submarine like the SRV-II, that can dive down to around 50 ft and be controlled with a tether. Checkout this website: Homebuilt ROVs
Regards,
TCIII ArduRover2 Developer
Thomas, incredible! ROVs, okay, now I understood. No submarines.
Thanks for the link to the forum!
best
Jens
@Jens,
It is still possible to use the APM on a submarine as far as stabilizing it, like in fly by wire, and possibly providing guidance from a known GPS diving point. However, the code would have to be modified to rely only on the IMU and compass inputs for movement between waypoints.
Regards,
TCIII ArduRover2 Developer