Rov Reboot (3D Printed Rov)

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sthone
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Rov Reboot (3D Printed Rov)

Post by sthone »

This is going to be a reboot of an simple ROV I started years ago Seen Here.

The original design was suppose to be something simple a beginner could build while at the same time I was trying to make a really small Rov because it's just something I wanted to do. My initial design had a major flaw where I couldn't get positive buoyancy using PVC chambers like I wanted to (without going to 3" pipe) so the project kept getting thrown on the back burner. Trying to get motivated again to get active with ROV's I recently started toying with the idea of using fiberglass covered blue insulation board for buoyancy. I knew it's not a great idea but I though it might be somewhat doable seeing as the Rov only has a 100' tether. After carving out a float out of foam it was pointed out in another thread that even at depths of around 65' that approach wouldn't really work (I'm just glad I saw that thread before starting the fiberglass part.) so now I'm going in a slightly different direction that may or may not work. :?

I am going to reuse the same simple thruster/control system I all ready built (which is highlight here.) and just design a new frame. The frame design will be very similar but this time it will be 3D printed because I want to test out that approach to see if it's a viable option for us DIY'ers.

Below is the start of some initial designs ideas I am working on but will likely change along the building process.
Design003.jpg
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The bilge pump thrusters are going to be paired with a modified version of the Kort nozzle I was working on before. I modified the original design to be a bit stronger and to incorporate the thruster mount directly into the nozzle itself.
Design004.jpg
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The pump cartridges should insert and lock into the housing much like the original bilge pumps they were designed for.
Design005.jpg
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The side plates for the frame will be roughly 9.5" x 7.5" which is just about the largest dimensions I can print on my Makergear M2 Printer.
Design003_2.jpg
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The thruster housings will mount to the side rails with a few 6/32" nuts and bolts.
Design006.jpg
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For the main buoyancy I want to try and print a outer shell and then fill it with a microballon/epoxy mix. I had to design the float to be in three pieces because of size restrictions of the printer. One end cap will be glued on then filled with the mixture and then the other end cap should seal everything up. If this method does not work I will carve the same shape out of the foam available from BlueRobotics. Hopefully this will be enough buoyancy and I don't run into the same problem as before. :lol:
Design001.jpg
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Design002.jpg
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Design002_2.jpg
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This is the overall initial design, a lot will probably change once I figure out what camera and other goodies will be added.

-Steve :sting:
Bindo
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Re: Rov Reboot (3d Printed)

Post by Bindo »

I love the thruster/nozzle design, it looks like it'll work a treat!

is there plans for a grabber etc?
oceanrov31
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Re: Rov Reboot (3d Printed)

Post by oceanrov31 »

WOW, super nice thruster nozzles and mount! as well as the frame.

any chance you will be posting the 3d print files when done?

does your design incorporate a video cam or electronics housing?

thanks
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sthone
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Re: Rov Reboot (3d Printed)

Post by sthone »

Bindo wrote:I love the thruster/nozzle design, it looks like it'll work a treat!

is there plans for a grabber etc?
Thanks, I have the ability to add only one option such as up/down for the camera or open/close of a gripper. I might add both features and just swap them around when needed. (that's still in the works) The gripper will probably be a smaller version of this one though.


oceanrov31 wrote:WOW, super nice thruster nozzles and mount! as well as the frame.

any chance you will be posting the 3d print files when done?

does your design incorporate a video cam or electronics housing?

thanks
Yes when completed I will share all of the files. (everything I do is always open source) It will have a camera (I already bought one I just have to make a housing for it) and as far as electronics the blue box under the float is the Relay box that's about all it has for electronics.

I'm hoping to get one of the thruster mounts/nozzles printed tonight to see how/if it works

-Steve :sting:
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sthone
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Re: Rov Reboot (3d Printed)

Post by sthone »

Printer1.jpg
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All sliced up and ready to upload to the printer.
Printer2.jpg
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Here we go... 2 layers down, 603 to go. Barring any issues... hopefully in 5-6 hours I'll have my first housing.

Updates to continue................

-Steve
oceanrov31
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Re: Rov Reboot (3d Printed)

Post by oceanrov31 »

I just thought of a concern I had about large 3d printer parts with less than 100% infill, for rov use.
will the parts have a signficant enough change in buoyancy effect total vehicle buoyancy,
i.e making it negative over time, as they leak water into themselves due to the lack of 100% seal under pressure.
do you think this is a concern and how will can it be resolved?

thanks
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sthone
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Re: Rov Reboot (3d Printed)

Post by sthone »

Printer3.jpg
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Printer4.jpg
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So far so good, print time was just shy of 7 hours. It looks a little rough in the pictures but that's just the way the light hits the layers I'm actually happy with how well it came out. My inside dimensions are a little tight so they will need a bit of sanding to get the cartridges to fit without being too snug. I didn't have time to do that time morning though so it's still a work in progress.

oceanrov31, I do have some concerns with the water tightness of Printed parts but that's why I wanted to try a printed ROV to see what happens. These were printed in ABS at 80% (which is pretty much solid when it comes down to it) so I'll have to wait and see what happens in the long run. There is a product you can coat printed parts with to smooth them out but I'm not sure if it would waterproof them or not. I will probably just sand, paint, and clear coat everything when done but again i'm not sure if that will help only time will tell.

-Steve :sting:
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Oldsirhippy
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Re: Rov Reboot (3d Printed)

Post by Oldsirhippy »

Well done - I like it when 3D designs from the screen become "real" and look the same as the graphics! :D
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sthone
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Re: Rov Reboot (3d Printed)

Post by sthone »

Printer5.jpg
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It only took a bit of sanding but the pump cartridge fits quite nicely. I'll make a few minor dimension changes before I print the other two but other than that it's looking good. I have a little more design work to figure out before I can print anything else so once again .....

...To be continued.

-Steve :sting:
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sthone
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Re: Rov Reboot (3d Printed)

Post by sthone »

Design007.jpg
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Design008.jpg
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I managed to do I bit more design work today, this will be the tether attachment point. It's basically just a pinch point to secure the tether to the main frame (or float in this case.) The bottom picture also shows the recess for the relay box.

While this float doesn't look like much there's a lot of challenges involved when designing parts that are going to be 3D printed, you have to take into account how the parts will actual be orientated while being printed to avoid overhangs and to use less support material. This thing is seriously going to push the limits of my printer when it comes to it's size alone plus it's going to take around 24 hours to print. I still have a ways to go though before I can even start to think about printing it.

-Steve :sting:
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