Brainstorming/ Alternative Solutions

    The brainstorming for the glass bottom boat is very basic.  It is just the very first ideas for the boat.  Most of them are designs for row boats, because initially we planned on building a row boat.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming for an alternative solution

     There are three alternative solutions for the glass bottomed remote control vehicle.  They are a canoe shaped glass bottom boat, a fully glass vehicle, and a boat with a glass bowl on the bottom.  These ideas are all viable but are just not the absolute best choice for the final design. 

Alternative Solution #1
     This solution is a canoe shaped boat.  The bottom of the canoe would be entirely plexiglass to capture images from under the boat.  This includes the sides of the boat being plexiglass as well.  The boat would be one solid structure.  The bottom and sides would not need to be connected because it would be one piece.  There would be a wooden frame around the top of the canoe to keep the edges from braking.  There would be a motor on the back end of the boat.  It would be remote control powered from the shore.  The canoe would be small so that it can be remote control operated without using an excessive amount of energy.  It would be 2½ feet long, 1 foot wide, and ½ foot deep (as shown in figures 1A and 1B).  There would be a bench like wooden piece in the center of the canoe to aid in the stability of the boat (as shown in figure 1A). 

Figure 1A

Figure 1B

           
Alternative Solution #2
     The fully plexiglass vehicle is not as feasible as the other two, but it still could work.  In this idea the entire boat would be made from clear plexiglass.  It would be a 1 foot by 1 foot cube (as shown in figure 2A and 2B).  This glass bottom vehicle would be remote control operated from shore.  It would be closed in so that the camera does not get wet.  There would be a hole in the back of the cube for the motor to be placed (as shown in figure 2C). 

Figure 2- Alternative solution- glass cube

Alternative Solution #3
     The last alternative solution is the wooden boat with a glass bowl at the bottom.  This was originally the design that we were going to use for our final solution.  However, we concluded that with a rounded bowl at the bottom there would be a lot of glare from the sun while taking the videos.  This vehicle would also be remote control powered and operated from shore.  The sides and bottom frame would be made from wood and the clear glass bowl would be in the bottom center.  It would be 24 inches long by 20 inches wide and 6 inches deep.  This can be seen in figure 3A. 

Figure 3A

     The camera portion for all of these alternative solutions will be handled by my partner.  I will be in charge of the remote control portion of all of these solutions.  They would all be battery powered.  They would each use the wiring systems from an already existing remote control toy boat.    

Background Information/ Summer Research

            The problem that my team and I are designing a solution for is the difficult task of taking pictures underwater from inside a boat.  If you are in a boat you can not see through the bottom of it to take a picture of the life underneath you.  Another method currently used to take pictures underwater is scuba diving.  The scuba divers manually take photographs of the marine life around them.  However, in the winter months it is not suitable weather for scuba diving.  Therefore, our project is to build a glass bottom remote control vessel.

            The people who will be involved in this project are my teammate and I, our mentors, and the client.  My teammate MM and I will be designing and constructing the vessel.  Our mentors will be advising us along the way.  When the vessel is completed, our client will be using it to research and study benthic creatures in our selected location. 

All radio remote control vehicles have four main components.  These four parts are the transmitter, the receiver, the motor or motors, and the power source.  The transmitter is the device that you hold and operate by sending radio waves to the vehicle (or receiver) to control it.  The receiver is the vehicle that is being controlled.  It has an antenna and circuit board that receives signals from the transmitter and activates motors inside the vehicle.  The motor turns the wheels, steers the vehicle, and operates propellers.  The power source is the source that supplies the power for the vehicle.  It is usually a battery pack.  There are remote control cars, boats, trains, and remote control planes.  All of these work the same way in which this remote control glass bottom boat will work. 
A remote controlled vehicle is operated from a distance.  They can be operated using a wire connected to both the vehicle and the controller, or many other methods as well.  A radio controlled vehicle is an unattached remote controlled vehicle.    

Schematic diagram for a remote control boat

Second Schematic diagram for remote control boat

 

            This remote control video taking glass bottom vessel needs to be created because it is essential to videoing the bottom of the marine environment.  It will make the job of researching marine life much easier.  If the spots are detected where the benthic creatures are then people can steer clear of these specific spots as to not disturb the life.

            Other things that use the same components our vehicle will be using is things such as remote control boats, cars, and airplanes.  There are also many other glass bottom boats already in creation.  Figure one shows the Parite Boat.  Figure two shows a simpler glass bottom boat.  

Figure 1- Parite Boat- largest glass bottom spheroid in the world

Figure 2- inside of a glass bottom boat

 























Articles and Resources Used:

wiring diagrams: http://carwiringdiagrams.net/rc-car-controller-circuit-diagram-design-using-atmel-4414-ic/

Summer Research:
 
http://www.howstuffworks.com/rc-toy.htm

http://www.glen-l.com/submethd.html

http://www.boatbuildercentral.com/

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4674981_remote-control-car-work.html

How to build a remote control boat: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Remote-Control-Toy-Boat 


clear bottom canoe made of polymer: http://www.fitness-gadgets.com/water-sports/transparent-canoe-kayak-lets-you-see-beneath-while-you-paddle/

glass bottom canoe made of bullett proof glass: http://www.davison.com/creators/2009/04/02/glass-bottom-tour/

canoe with glass window on the bottom: http://synergyboatworks.com/custom.aspx 

http://www.paritetboat.com/main.htm

WHAT IS FIBERGLASS? http://www.diseno-art.com/tutorials/fiberglass.html

plexiglass (a light transparent weather resistant thermoplastic)

Design Brief

Group Design Brief
To design and construct a remote controlled model vessel that marine biologists will use to film marine life in bay type situations in a variety of cold and/or severe weather conditions.

Horseshoe Cove, Sandy Hook- during the winter months.  Snowy cold and icy

Individual Design Brief
To design and construct a remote controlled model vessel that can be operated from the shore in cold and/or severe weather conditions.

Example of a remote control boat that can be controlled from shore

First Post

My partner MM and I will be creating a glass bottom vehicle with a video camera.  We will be going out to our testing location this weekend to search for benthic creatures.