Go, Fish!
SeaPerch, a global underwater robotics program, is evolving with SeaPerch II, adding sensors, manipulators, and Arduino for smarter builds.
For over 20 years, the SeaPerch program has been instilling a love for robotics in students around the world. A large community, and an annual competition, has built up around the popular remotely-operated underwater vehicle known as SeaPerch during this time. With the help of a user-friendly kit, enthusiasts can put together — and customize — their own submersible robot, solving problems and learning basic science and engineering concepts along the way.
The kits consist of PVC tubes for the frame, bits of pool noodles for buoyancy, electric motors, propellers, a 12V rechargeable battery, a custom circuit board, and all the other bits and pieces needed to build a complete system. While these robots are a lot of fun (and highly educational), after a couple decades they are starting to show their age. Present SeaPerch kits focus mostly on locomotion and control, but many advances have been made in areas like sensing and manipulation in recent years. Adding in some more modern components could add a lot of value to the students working with these robots.
It is for this reason that students at MIT are working on a series of upgrades that are collectively called SeaPerch II. These upgrades are broken up into modules, each designed to teach specific skills by using a variety of sensors, manipulators, and so on. These modules introduce modern sensors that measure physical phenomena like temperature or pressure. Other modules make use of silicone grippers to interact with the world around them. Integrating Arduino microcontroller development boards into the designs allows learners to add intelligence and control in a user-friendly manner.
Hundreds of thousands of people build a SeaPerch robot each year, so there is a thriving community available to help resolve problems and inspire creativity. If you are a student or educator that is interested in digging deeper into this platform, the SeaPerch II website is now available, and there are plenty of future updates planned. Each module has a full list of required parts (with links for product purchases), an explanation of how everything works, and full step-by-step build instructions.
If you build a SeaPerch II of your own, be sure to let us know about it!