Underwater ROV System

Overview

This project involved designing and building a custom observation-class ROV from scratch, including the mechanical frame, electronics, control systems, and software stack.

Key Features

• Real-time HD video with low-latency streaming over tether
• Multi-sensor integration including depth, temperature, and IMU
• ROS-based control with a custom gamepad interface
• Modular design for easy maintenance and upgrades

Technical Details

The ROV uses a Raspberry Pi as the main compute platform, running ROS for device communication and control. An Arduino handles low-level motor control and sensor reading.

# Thruster control mapping
def map_gamepad_to_thrusters(x, y, z, yaw):
    """Map gamepad axes to 4-thruster vectored configuration."""
    fl = y + x + yaw  # Front-left
    fr = y - x - yaw  # Front-right
    rl = y - x + yaw  # Rear-left
    rr = y + x - yaw  # Rear-right
    vertical = z       # Vertical thrusters
    return clamp_values(fl, fr, rl, rr, vertical)

Lessons Learned

Building an ROV from the ground up taught me invaluable lessons about waterproofing, electrical isolation, and the challenges of operating electronics in harsh marine environments.