As part of TartanAUV, CMU's Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) competition team, I designed a housing unit for the AUV's inertial measurement unit (IMU) and downward facing camera. While designing the housing unit, I had to focus on the stability of the IMU and camera as it is crucial to the computer vision software. This not only applied to the attachment of the devices inside of the housing, but how we would attach the housing to the AUV itself. The second priority was weight. I had to optimize the design to be as lightweight as possible to not put additional strain on the AUV's thrusters. All the while, not compromising the strength and seal of the housing.

During this project, I learned how to determine what needed to be taken into consideration when designing a product as well as identifying which of those considerations is the most important. The design was revised to make modifications to attachment pieces, changes in the devices that would be housed, and ease of machining and installation.

This project was halted early on as a result of campus closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has since be handed down to a new member in order for me to take on a senior mentorship position for the mechanical team.

I was also in charge of creating rough, preliminary concepts for the AUV's gripper and torpedo launcher. These are used to complete different tasks when competing at RoboNation's Robosub Competition. These tasks involve hitting a target, moving objects, and opening containers.

The torpedo launcher is made to be pneumatic with tubing connecting to the threaded end of the launcher. The air released by an air compressor through the tube will propel the torpedo out of the cylinder body. The torpedo itself is a simple cylinder shape with a rounded front end and fins at the back. It would attach to the side of the chassis, similar to the thrusters' attachment.

The gripper would utilize a servo motor that will rotate gears that attach to the arms causing them to open or close. It would attach to the bottom of the chassis allowing it to be centered on the AUV and in view of the front-facing camera. This will help with depth perception and locating the arm in relation to the camera.