Mechanical

The system consists of a Quackraft capable of operating in the fountain and a Mallard Module that controls various aspects of Quackraft behavior. * link these to lower on the page once we have published

Design Ideation

Below are the primary sketches of both the Quackraft and Mallard Module from our first design review.

The zone of interference is where nothing can be placed.

Quackraft

CAD assembly of the Quackraft

The Quackraft was able to navigate Terman Fountain while carrying four Captain Ducks as well as all of the electronics required for operation: a PIC32 microcontroller, two 14V batteries, a power distribution board, two servos, an XBee radio module, two Electronic Speed Controllers (ESCs), and two drive motors.

Boat Chassis

The catamaran-style boat consists of two foam pontoons and a multi-layer acrylic deck.

The pontoons were made out of FOAMULAR NGX (polystyrene "pink foam"). The propulsion motors were housed inside the pontoons, with internal channels directing water through the hull. The channels tapered behind the motors, acting as jets to accelerate water flow and increase thrust.

Front cross section of the boat.

Side cross section of the boat, where the drive motors are visible.

Pontoon halves before they were glued together and carved out to give clearance to motor mounts.

Drive

The deck was laser cut from acrylic. The lower deck was made of two separate pieces that each laid on top of one of the pontoons, and the drive motors were attached to these acrylic decks rather than the pontoons themselves.

Old video where the decks are more visible

One thruster and its mount

The drive motors are APISQUEEN brushless underwater thrusters, and the Quackraft uses bidirectional ESCs to characterize PWM output from the PIC32 into motion of the motors.

The 3D-printed PLA mounts were attached to the motors directly with self-tapping screws, and the mounts attached to the deck with screws into heat-set inserts.

Electronics Housing

Electronics were enclosed in a tupperware with PG9 cable glands waterproofing wire connections. The power distribution board, 14V batteries, and XBee radio module were all placed in and secured inside the enclosure.

Pairing Servo

The pairing servo moves up when a Mallard Module successfully connects to the Quackraft.

for Team 3!

Gate

Fauna intake occurs when the boat drives over fauna and then actuates a servo to close the gate. The nets minimize drag while still preventing fauna from escaping.

Fauna in the fountain!

Duck Pedestal

Captain Ducks were required to sit on an unmodified Duck Plate 8.0 inches above the waterline. Captain Ducks were housed on the Quackraft on a 3D-printed static pedestal attached to the top deck.

Mallard Module

The controller was laser cut with finger joints for easier assembly. Some joints were glued shut and others were only taped, so that they could be reopened if necessary.

To improve the user experience with the controller, vinyl cut stickers were added to the controller interface as labels for the different inputs.

The Mallard Module serves as the wireless controller for the Quackraft, and it can be used to control any Quackraft that adheres to the 2026 ME 218C Communications Protocol.

Refueling

The fuel gauge indicates the steam pressure of the Quackraft. Actions such as driving forward and actuating the gate decrease steam pressure.

When the Mallard Module is in refuel mode, shaking the purple duck will restore the steam pressure of the Quackraft. The LED blinking green indicates being in refuel mode.

Pairing

Select Quackcraft using the dial

The light will confirm which Quackcraft we are trying to pair with

Press the pair button to start sending pair messages

Once a pair acknowledgement is received, the fuel gauge will fill and the light remains solid

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