Mechanical

Mechanical part of the BOAT is comprised of the main chassis, paddle wheel propulsion, electronics box, BYT(ER), and pairing status indicator.

Chassis

The main body of the BOAT is constructed from laser cut 1/8" duron sheets. A coat of acrylic spray paint adds a waterproof coating to the duron. Beneath the main chassis is a 4" thick layer of pink foam for buoyancy.

Propulsion

The BOAT is propelled by a set of paddle wheels flanking the sides of the electronics enclosure. Each paddle wheel comprises of a pair of 3D printed spokes sandwiching ten acrylic paddles. The spokes and paddles are joined with fasteners, an option both flexible and durable to submersion. The paddles are designed to maximize boat speed by optimizing the work efficiency of the motors and the magnitude of forward/backward force transmitted to the water. Cut outs in the spokes allow for maximum paddle width, thereby maximizing the area of contact with the water and thus the transmitted force. A series of mounting holes in the paddles and spokes enable discrete adjustments of the paddle positions, such that the tradeoff of work efficiency and transmitted force can be tuned based on the buoyancy of the BOAT.

Electronics Box

The electronics enclosure is designed to the IP-24 standard for liquid ingress. This states that liquid spray from any direction should not penetrate the enclosure. The inner layer of the enclosure is a Bona Floor Mop box, designed and tested to IP-24 standards. Batteries, PCBs, and DC motors (drivetrain) are mounted to an acrylic shelving unit inside the box. Small holes were bored in the sides and top of the box for mechanical and electrical feedthrough ports. To mitigate the risk of these holes, an additional duron enclosure encompasses the waterproof box. Holes in the duron enclosure are strategically offset from holes in the waterproof box to prevent ingress of water spray.

Pairing Status Indicator

Pairing status servo was designed in the shape of boba tea. If the status is paired, the boba straw would be raised up with the rack and pinion mechanism controlled by a servo. To fix the position of the straw, there are inner and outer tubes that attached to the button of the cup. The side panel servo stand was adjustable for the best position of the straw. Several screw holes are designed to attach the cup on top of the electronic box.

BYT(ER)

The function of the BYT(ER) is to "chomp", or pop, the BAYT, or balloon, of another BOAT. The BYT(ER) consist of 2 hand-like components and is controlled by 2 servos when performing chomp action. The two straws are 16 cm and are adjustable for optimization. Two zigzagged teeth acrylic pieces were inserted in the slots on the inner radius of the straws to pop the BAYT easily. The BYT(ER) stand extends the height of the BYT(ER) and is mounted from the front of the electronics enclosure.

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