MIT Marine Robotics Team
I am a member of the MIT Marine Robotics team. During the fall of my freshman year, everything was virtual due to Covid. Because of this, the team was struggling to make progress on the development of a competition ROV(remotely operated vehicle). I created a simulation of the ROV and the competition site using the Unity Game engine that allowed us to develop control schemes and strategies for the competition. This video shows autonomous mode, where the ROV tries to reach the green square (2x speed).
In the spring, I was one of two MRT members that chose to go on campus. I worked with my mostly-virtual teammates and led the build process of the ROV; I acquired parts, machined required pieces, completed the wiring, and aided in the development of wired controls. Covid precautions made lab access difficult, so I ended up turning my dorm into an EE lab: testing motors in the sink, and wiring motors and battery banks at my desk. It was all worth it as we had a successful test of the ROV in the turbulent Charles river at the end of the semester. First video is the Endcap that I designed and machined, second video is the testing of the motors on the ROV.
The test was mostly successful, but we found plenty of fixes and improvements(that we are working on this year). Unfortunately, the competition was cancelled, but the project was still a great learning experience.
