The Sea Hog - An unmanned vehicle for underwater exploration

The Sea Hog

After many weeks of tedious work, our group, Group 2, has finally completed our project which is to create an underwater rover that can take photos and videos underwater.

Introducing Sea Hog

Sea Hog

Promotion video of Sea Hog

Video also available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIvg82rqoPQ


Project Statement

There are many water bodies that need to be inspected but are too hazardous for divers to swim in. Our group presents to you the Sea Hog to tackle this challenge. Sea Hog is required to take pictures of the conditions of water bodies and relay the information to the relevant authorities or organisations. In addition, Sea Hog has to be able to dive to a depth of 1.5 meters.

Technical Specifications

Total Weight	3.4kg
Total Volume	24000 cubicmeters
Maximum Size	400 mm X 300 mm X 200 mm
Materials	Acrylic Plate 3D Printer ABS PVC Aluminium L-Bars Aluminium Flat Bar
Electrical Components	Arduino Micro Board H-bridge L298 DC motor 6.0-15.0V Arduino Camera Arduino Joystick Arduino Board High Brightness LED
Controls	Arduino Joystick
Function	Take photos underwater
Operating Voltage	15 V
Camera Output	USB
Maximum Depth	1.5 meters

For more information, including a technical deep dive into the design specifics of the Sea Hog, please click here.


How well does it work?

Images captured by arduino camera underwater:

Underwater image of swimming pool

Capturing an underwater image of our swimmer

Underwater image of our lecturer

Note that in this case, we used a computer to capture static images from the Sea Hog's onboard camera, via a FTDI adapter and USB connection. The onboard camera also has a composite video output function which you can connect to a TV, however we did not use that feature in our prototype.

To control the movement of the Sea Hog, we used a joystick that switches between two modes. The default mode controls the movement of the Sea Hog in the horizontal plane, allowing it to move forward, as well as turn left and turn right. The other mode, activated by pressing down on the joystick, allows the Sea Hog to surface or submerge underwater.

Who should get this?

There is a very wide market for underwater exploratory vehicles such as the Sea Hog. Since all you need is a computer or TV to see the output from the Sea Hog's camera, and it's all controlled by a single joystick, the sea hog can be used by anyone, from hobbyists and leisure uses, to even governmental research in areas of science and defense. It truly is a product for everyone.

A word of thanks from the team

These past few months have indeed been a long and arduous journey. Throughout the project, we encountered various setbacks, sleepless nights, and other troubles, but it didn't put us down. In fact, as a learned man once said, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Thus, we had learned more than what we could just sitting in a lecture hall and taking examinations, and our chemistry as a team has also improved much from the first day when we came together to begin this project.

So, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for viewing our blog and supporting us all this while. We hoped you learnt something useful from us, as we have learnt over the course of this project.

With our greatest thanks,

• Lucas, Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, who was responsible for overall electronics design
• Gabriel, Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, who was responsible for overall mechanical design
• Pei Yong, Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, our coding master
• Joel, from the Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, who led the effort to chronicle our progress on the project in this blog, and producing the video
• Keith, from the Diploma in Aerospace Electronics, who performed the important task of performing mechanical calculations

And of course, we couldn't have completed this project without

• Our lecturers at the Singapore Polytechnic Engineering Academy, whom provided valuable assistance and support in the course of this past few months.