RAO: a low-cost AUV for testing

Abstract

We present an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) designed and assembled at the University of the Balearic Islands. This vehicle has been conceived to be a testing bench for the development of hardware and software related with underwater robotics. Three basic principles have guided its design and development process: low cost, modularity and portability. The vehicle is constructed with components which are either standard or which can easily be adapted to the desired purpose. The hull has been made of PVC pipe and maneuverability is made possible thanks to two longitudinal and two vertical thrusters. The ballast has been adjusted to give the whole structure slight positive buoyancy. The electronic circuits and the batteries of the system occupy the dry parts of the hull. The control hardware can be easily pulled out to be repaired or modified. Thus, different architectures can be tested on the same platform. A basic set of sensors for navigation and self-diagnosis has been used in the first version of this prototype.