Development of a Remotely Operated Underwater Unmanned Vehicle for Educational Purposes

This article presents a small, inexpensive remotely operated underwater vehicle capable of maneuvering in shallow waters for the purpose of monitoring water quality and demonstrating vehicle control algorithms. The remotely operated underwater vehicle is controlled by an embedded controller, and its sensor payload includes a turbidity sensor for water quality assessment, a depth sensor, and a 9-axis inertial measurement unit. The developed remotely operated underwater vehicle is a compact device with a modular physical and electrical architecture mounted on an open frame. Weighing 2.6 kg net, capable of diving to a maximum depth of 20 m, the frame of the remotely operated underwater vehicle is constructed from polyvinyl chloride pipes and has a length of 515 mm. The surface-based ground station for data display and reception from the remotely operated underwater vehicle is implemented as a dedicated laptop, which displays real-time data and can send commands. Initial testing in an artificial water body demonstrates that the remotely operated underwater vehicle is fully operational and effectively follows pilot command.