Vessel propelling through water

Video of vessel with motor, propellers, and battery moving through the water

Testing

model in water to make sure it is balanced and floats

model in water with weight of MM's camera apparatus 

vessel in water tank: floats and does not sit too far in the water

top view of vessel in water with out any of the motors or other components

vessel in water with motors, propellers, and battery

Construction

Top: Measuring the side of my vessel
2nd: Final model of my vessel
Third: final rendered CAD drawing of my vessel
Bottom:The pieces for my vessel not yet put together; with the angle measurer

The wood slides into the grooves made so that the vessel is more watertight with less seams.

propeller from the RC boat

RC motor components

RC motor components

RC propellers

inside of RC boat; blue cooling tube on the left

motors, propellers, and battery out of boat

left: frame for bottom of vessel that I had to remake (right) because the wood was splitting through

spray painting frame for bottom of vessel in systems shop

vessel all put together and painted with glass bottom sitting in bottom

plexiglass bottom for vessel: I removed the protective sheet from just the perimeter so that the center of it would not get ruined

vessel with plexiglass attached to the bottom and the frame overtop of it and the caulked seems

 

The pieces fit into each other perfectly so that they are secure and stable.

Model

Isometric view of model

Side view of model



Side of vessel model



Bottom view of model

Developmental Work

Isometric View of Vessel

Orthographic View- front of vessel

Orthographic View- side of vessel

Orthographic View- top of vessel

SUPPLY LIST

Item	Description	QTY	Size	Remarks
1	Glue	1	16 oz	Titebond II wood glue (waterproof)
2	Sandpaper	2	4”x8” sheet	Material forming
3	Clear Wood Finish	1	1 gallon	Vessel finish

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT LIST

Item	Description	Use
1	Band Saw	Cut out pieces for vessel
2	Ruler	Measure out pieces for vessel
3	Pencil	Mark wood for vessel

MATERIALS LIST

Item	Description	QTY	Size	Remarks
1	Plywood	1	2’x4’ sheet	Vessel body
2	Plexiglass	1	4”x6” sheet	Vessel bottom
3	Motor	1	Standard
4	Battery	1		Power source of vessel

 

Plan of Procedures
The project being created following these steps is a remote control glass bottom vessel.  This vessel will be able to be operated from shore during harsh weather to view underwater benthic creatures. 

·         Measure out and mark the wood to the appropriate sizes for the pieces of the vessel

·         Cut each piece of wood following your measured out guide lines and sand the edges of each piece so that the edges are smooth

·         Glue the side pieces of wood together

·         Glue the bottom frame to the bottom of the side piece of the vessel

·         Let the glue completely dry for at least 24 hours

·         Paint the clear wood finishing over the entire vessel

·         Let the vessel completely dry for at least 24 hours

·         Glue in the sheet of pexiglass to the center of the bottom of the vessel

·         Let completely dry for at least 24 hours

Testing Procedures

Testing Procedure for Final Design:
Place the vehicle in the water at the site
Have the person controlling the vehicle on the shore
Have the person controlling the camera on the shore
Start operating the vehicle
Begin taking the video
Move the vehicle in at least a thirty square foot radius, video taping the entire time
Bring the vehicle back to the shore
Develop the video
Get the video to the client for research on the benthic creatures

Testing Procedure for Individual Design:
Place the vehicle in the testing location
Test all functions and controls to ensure that they work properly
Meet with the team to discuss what worked or did not work 


Survey for Testing:
    Did the vessel float?
    How much water, if any, did the vessel take on?
    Did the vessel move in all intended directions?

Specs & Limitations

Specs:

The vessel must have a see through bottom

The see through bottom of the vehicle should have a wooden frame

The vessel must be able to float

The vessel must stay balanced at all times

The vessel should have no leaks or places where leaks can occur

The vessel must be remote control operated

The vessel must be operated by a member of the team while on shore

The vessel must be able to support the weight of the camera system

Environment for Use: shallow water bay

Condition of Solution: in motion

User/ Consumer: benthic organism researcher

Limitations:

Minimize cost

Minimize materials

The vessel can not be larger than 4 feet by 4 feet

Power Restrictions: motor and battery must be able to handle moving something the size and weight of the vessel plus the camera apparatus

Rationale Report

Criteria	Glass Bottom Canoe	Fully Glass Vehicle	Vehicle with Glass Bowl on Bottom	Glass Flat-Bottom Vehicle
Ease of Use	S	-	S	+
Aesthetic Appeal	+	+	-	+
Manufacturability	-	-	+	+
Low Weight	+	-	+	-
Energy Efficient	-	+	-	+
Safety	-	-	S	S
∑+	2	2	3	4
∑-	3	4	1	1
∑S	1	0	2	1
Net Score	-1	-2	2	3
Rank	3	4	2	1
Continue or Combine?	No	No	Combine	Yes

Alternative solution number one is the glass bottom canoe shaped boat.  The advantages of this boat are that it is easy to design and light weight.  The disadvantages of this design are that it would be extremely difficult to manufacture and it is not very energy efficient.  Since the canoe has a rounded body, the entire body would need to be made of glass.  This would be difficult to manufacture, maneuver, and would also make it heavier to propel through the water.  There are other glass bottom canoes that have been made.  Figures one and two show a glass bottom canoe.

Figure 1- plexiglass bottom canoe

Figure 2- plexiglass bottom boat

 

Alternative solution number two is the completely glass cube vehicle.  This idea is certainly feasible but not as easily done as the rest.  The advantage of this boat would be that it would be completely clear in the water. The fish and marine life would not see it and be scared away, thus giving you a more accurate estimation of what creatures are living there.  It would be a very aesthetically appealing vehicle.  It would have a very modern and technologically advanced look to it.  The disadvantage to this vehicle is that it would be very difficult to manufacture.  It also uses more glass than the other alternative solutions.

Alternative solution number three is the vehicle with the glass bowl on the bottom.  Initially this is the design that we were going to go with for our final solution.  However we realized that the cons outweighed the pros.  While the bowl on the bottom would keep the boat balanced, it causes a bigger hazard.  If the boat hits a rock the bowl could crack and shatter.  Also the bowl would create a glare from the sun in some spots while the camera is rotating.

The final solution is the glass bottom boat with a flat bottom.  This vehicle is easy to use, has an aesthetic appeal, and is easily manufacturable.  It is not as low eight as alternative solutions number three though.  This solution is much less likely to break if it hits the bottom since it is flat.  The boat would be floating in the water so it would not come into contact with shallow rocks. 

After considering the pros and cons of each one of these solutions, the one that my team and I chose was the glass bottom boat with a flat bottom.  This came in first place in the ranking chart.  It has the most advantages in building and using this solution and was the most energy efficient.  It has an aesthetic appeal because it is sleek.    The bottom picture shhows the final solution.