Help with design

[Jacob]

Hi everyone!
I am 14, and have built a Sea Perch rov in the past. I am now trying to design one of my own, and need some help. My goal is to be able to control the rov from my laptop. What do I need to know in order to accomplish this (is there a specific language?)? What equipment/software do I need? I would really appreciate any help!

[Ian MacKenzie]

Check out the Control Systems and Tethers, and the Code Room section. Ask lots of questions. There's a lot of smart people here willing to help.
I'm working on a Retrofit Seafox, basic control, so I can't really help.

[a_shorething]

Hey Jacob,

Welcome to the forum!

Wow, such a broad topic. I would recommend you look around on here and on OpenROV to see what kinds of things you think you'd be interested in.

You mentioned you want to use a laptop so that means you'll have to figure out a few things like:

1.What type of control system do you want to have for the ROV itself? (usually the laptop sends codes to a circuit board or controller board like an Arduino or Raspberry Pi, but at the least it has to send signals to something that can convert the instructions from computer code into voltage for the thrusters. It could be attached to the computer or in the ROV or there could be more than one)
2.How will your UI (user interface) work? (XBOX/Joystick/gamepad controller or just keypad inputs?)
3.Will you power it from the surface or with onboard batteries?
4.How deep do you plan to send it?
5.What do you plan to do with it? (shoot video, just look around, log information, pick up stuff...)
6.Will you use it from a boat or launch from land/dock?

The answers to these questions will influence a lot of your design decisions and there are quite a few more.

also, you need to decide whether you will try to design according to your skills or learn whatever skills you will need in order to build the ROV in your imagination. Both can be challenging and rewarding. They're just different approaches. Sounds like you're leaning toward the latter. (which was my approach as well).

[Jacob]

Thank you for your input Ian. I checked out those two areas of the forum you talked about, and it was very helpful. In answer to your questions a_shorething, I plan on controlling the rov from a kayak. I want to be able to send the rov to depths of about 70', and think it would be very cool to control it via joystick. I also plan on using a retractable manipulator powered by a waterproofed servo, a wireless camera giving me live feed, and a dredge. I do not know if the first is even possible, but it is worth a try. The basic structure would incorporate 6" pvc for the hull, with a dome on the front, and I would use bilge pumps inverted into the sides for power. I am trying to figure out a way to incorporate onboard power, but am rather lost. Again, any input is appreciated.

[scubersteve]

Just the thought of taking a laptop on a kayak scares me.

[Jaman42]

I am trying to figure out a way to incorporate onboard power, but am rather lost.

Hi Jacob! What do you mean? If your wondering about what types of batteries to use I would check out lipo batteries in some convenient online store. Is there any particular reason you would want to bring your laptop? If you don't need to bring your laptop on the kajak you could build a waterproofed control unit with a screen.

You can use two Arduinos, one topside and one in the ROV. You could get a USB host shield to the topside Arduino and connect a gamepad or joystick and control your ROV with that. The video feed could be a CCTV camera or if you want to record preferably a gopro camera where you can use the live feed for navigation and send down commands to start recording. If you have sensors on the ROV and want that data to the topside you could for example use a OSD (on screen display) to display the data on the live stream or you could send it with for example a serial protocol like RS485 and display it on a separate screen or just save the data on a sd card or whatever you want to do with it.

There are almost endless ways of doing things, myself I have done a lot of redesigning along the way. I started out from scratch with an idea without knowing anything really, the idea is slowly turning to a plan as I learn more and more. Soon I will be ready to actually build it, and then spend a long time modifying and improving it I guess.

So keep on reading and asking questions and you will realize your idea!

[a_shorething]

Just the thought of taking a laptop on a kayak scares me.

exactly. Or trying to control an ROV while sitting in one. This seems just impossible.

[Jacob]

Well, I guess you can tell how much of a novice I am, but that is really why I started asking questions. Am I right in thinking that arduino is basically a programable circuit board? Also, what is a USB host shield? And, is there any way in which I can receive live feed from my GoPro Hero 3+, besides the kit for sale on the 3d Robotics site? (it is a little bit out of my budget, as it sells for around $350.00)

I will probably be using one servo, and 8 bilge pumps on my design (one of which will be used on a dredge, and one on my thought for a retractable manipulator). Is any of this possible with arduino?

Thanks for your input!

[Jacob]

Oh, and also, Jaman42, when you mentioned a waterproofed control unit, what exactly do you mean?

[rossrov]

Hi Jacob. I guess most people your age would not own or be licenced to drive a powerboat, and that you already have a kayak. Also, the kayak will get you out to deeper water faster than a more stable rowboat. For kayak stability, you could buy some extra PVC (100mm/4" diameter should be just about right, about 6' long) and make an outrigger for your kayak. Examples of this on the 'net.

Unless you have some particular reason for using a laptop, then I would suggest avoiding the need to use one.
1. Hard, if not impossible to see the screen outdoors
2. Totally not water or splashproof
3. Too bulky and fragile

The host shield lets you connect mouse, keyboard, and some other USB devices to an Arduino. Probably you do not need this. If you wanted to connect your Arduino to a PC, and have the Arduino emulate a mouse or keyboard, then there are only one or two Arduino models that can do this. The Leonardo is one I think.

A common Arduino Uno can be programmed to control servos or ESCs, switch things on and off, read its digital and analog inputs, meaning you can connect switches or potentiometers (most analog joysticks have potentiometers in them). The other important thing is that the Arduino can be programmed to send and receive serial data, so you can have one Arduino topside with joysticks and compass depth display, talking with the one below that is sensing depth and heading, and connected to various motors.

For video, considering the space limitations of the kayak, cheap video goggles connected to a cheap, wide angle composite camera below.