Week 8

Accomplishments for this week:

-Received LEGO chain.
-Drilled holes for brackets in PVC piping. Attached the brackets.
-Began assembly of the control box.

Cutting wires for the control box.

-Created design for improved waterproofing box for the low-speed motor.

Designing the improved box.

Goals for next week:

-Assemble and test the whole thing.

Week 7

Accomplishments for this week:

-Finished waterproofing motors entirely. The low-speed motor's waterproof box was completed.

The motor in its box.

Work happening.

The other two waterproofed motors.

The box for the low-speed motor, sealed with silicone, and with holes drilled for the driveshaft.

-Ordered LEGO chain. All parts for drivetrain are now ordered.
-Started work on control box.
-Designed gears to be laser-cut at machine shop.


Goals for next week:
-Laser-cut gears.
-Finish control box.
-Initial assembly and testing.

Week 6

This week's accomplishments:

- The group has been given a servo motor from Drexel Hybrid SAE. The group is currently attempting to determine whether it would be easier to go with the servo than the low speed motor, and whether it is feasible to include it this late in the design.
The servo motor's ability to move to any arbitrary position would be invaluable, and would simplify controls down to just a potentiometer, but it may be too late to include it into the design at this point, as it would require new waterproofing boxes.
- Finished waterproofing motors.

The existing SeaPerch  motors, taped up and ready to go in their waterproof capsules.

The new motor in its waterproof box.

The box holds water from the inside, so presumably it also will keep out water from the outside.

- Finalized Solidworks design.

Figure 4: The belt system has been disregarded in favor of a system that uses LEGO chains to drive the center pole. This system will provide much more adhesion and should work much better underwater than a plain belt system would.

Next week's goals: Design propellers, fabricate propellers, assemble SeaPerch to the extent that it can be.

Week 5

This week's accomplishments:

- An extra low-speed motor was acquired, to move the center pipe which allows the SeaPerch to steer.

The new motor. It spins very slowly, largely because it is geared down so much.

- This motor has now been assembled and tested.
- A belt system has been designed to allow the motor to actually turn the center pipe.
- Continued working on Solidworks model. The new low-speed motor was mounted, as displayed in figure 3. This motor will drive the center pole through a belt.

Figure 3. Updated Solidworks model.

 Next week's goals: Finalize electrical systems, get a few more parts fabricated.